Independent Azerbaijan University students to sue Education Ministry

The fourth-year student of the university Elnur Mammadov addressing the conference, said the students have been going on hunger strike for eight days protesting against the Education Ministry's decision, APA reports.

"Ten more students felt worse and hospitalized today. However, we'll not stop hunger strike until our demands are met. We have appealed to President Ilham Aliyev regarding the issue today. We said in the appeal that as students our rights are violated and the Education Ministry ignores our problems," the protesting student said.

Stating that their rights have been harshly violated because of the negligence of the Education Ministry and the IAU, the students asked the head of state to solve their problems.

Student Haji Alasgarov said the Malikov hospital refused to receive the students and doctors in the hospital #5 are demanding money from the students for treatment. He said the graduates refuse the degree of the private university.

"There is an order on non-recognition of degrees of this university. The previous graduates of the university, who are working for different companies now are being sacked. State-owned companies refuse to employ them. So, we want to continue our studies in other universities," he said.

Student Aynur Gurbanova said IAU Rector Abbas Mustafayev can be held responsible for organizing illegal university entrance exams.

"Abbas Mustafayev are to blame for all the problems we are now facing .We will sue him for his illegal actions," she said. The student also added they will bring an action against Zahir Samadov, head of the university information center for his giving false information to media as if the hunger strike is formal.

Elnur Mammadov noted that the Education Ministry and the Public TV will be taken to court.

"During the past eight days the Public Television has never reported anything about our protests while it should serve the entire public. The television is campaigning different persons instead," he said.