Diploma Issuance Required for 4700 Former Students and Graduates of The Dagestan Branch of Azerbaijan International University

Students and graduates of the Dagestan branch of the former Azerbaijan International University (AIU) appealed to President Ilham Aliyev that they did not receive their diplomas after graduation. They asked the president not to be indifferent to their fate, to make a fair and humane decision, and provide their study at other universities in the country. This was stated at the IRFS Media Centre press conference on Wednesday by a group of students and their parents.

The parents stated 4,700 students of the Dagestan branch of AIU still have not received their diplomas, and have not been transferred to other universities in the country. After the activities of the AMU were suspended in 2010, the students of the Moscow branch of the university were transferred to other universities in Azerbaijan. However, the Dagestan branch remained out of the spotlight.

Parents reminded that they repeatedly have appealed to the president and his wife, to state agencies, the Ombudswoman, and public prosecutors, but to no avail. Three months ago Education Minister, Mikail Jabbarov, promised to solve the problem. However, so far he has not decided to grant diplomas to the students, or transfer them to other high schools in Azerbaijan. "Currently, the fate of 4,700 students is unclear. We ask the president to restore the rights of these young people," said Darichan Makhmudova, a mother,.

Speaking at a press conference, students reported that they have already served in the army. "The fate of students of the Moscow branch, which has the same status with our affiliate, has long been solved, but our problem remains unsolved," said student Elchin Mammadov.

The Azerbaijan International University has three branches: Moscow, Dubai and Dagestan. The university was closed in 2010. Currently, the former rector of AIU, Elshad Abdullayev, is in exile in France; a lawsuit was filed against him in Azerbaijan. -03C04-