A number of human rights groups criticized two Egyptian universities for preventing students affiliated with an opposition movement from taking mid-year exams. The organizations said that Cairo and Ain Shams Universities prevented 6 April Youth Movement students and veiled female students from taking the exams.
The organizations noted that the students in question had obtained judicial rulings from the Administrative Judicial Court ordering that they be allowed to take their exams. The groups called on university heads to implement the rulings and to respect students’ rights, the law and the Constitution.
The “Together for Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Center” described the incident as unjustified intransigence. The center said the students were prevented from taking exams due to their political activities, attempts to openly express their views, and desire to bring about political change and democracy to Egypt.
In a statement, the center said the arbitrary actions aiming to curtail political activity hamper the education of students.
Meanwhile, the “Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression” criticized the president of Ain Shams University as well as the deans of the Faculties of Law and Science for preventing a number of students from taking their exams following accusations that the students had distributed leaflets on campus calling for political change.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
