BM74: Support to protesting students in Armenia

BM74: Support to protesting students in Armenia

The ascension of former President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan to the post of Prime Minister recently fostered large scale protests around the country and active engagement of student communities was crucial for these actions. It has been more than 13 days since now that the protests go on, the resignation of the Prime Minister was achieved but people still continue the protest asking for larger changes in the government. It was reported that during all these days of the peaceful protests and marches excessive force was used and unwarranted arrests by authorities in certain clashes between police and protesters. Several groups of students were detained without legal justification and with the purpose to prevent them from exercising their civic rights.

Furthermore students reported of being contacted and warned by their institutions to no way attend the protests and not miss their classes.

We herewith state that we are glad to see civic activism taking over the streets of Yerevan and in all Armenia, especially empowered by tens of thousands of students. We are assured that any cause that leads a student from his or her comforts into the streets and marching is very important and has to be considered as a fundamental right and not suppressed by violence.

We unequivocally condemn the use of force and any attempts to silence the student voice of Armenia. We equally condemn any action which prevents people to exercise their civic rights. We are assured that enabling the freedom of expression will lead to the realization of their desired future.

ESU believes that peaceful assembly of the Armenian students and their right to free expression are guaranteed under the Armenian constitution and the international conventions that Armenia singed, as well as the different ministerial communiques. We believe these rights should be fully respected.

Proposed by: ANSA

Seconded by: ISO, NUS-UK , BSA, BOSS, NUIS, LSVb, EUL, fzs, FAIRe, UAS, UNEF, ANOSR, VVS, SPUM, LIS, USI, FEF, SKRVS, NASC, UDU, SKONUS, DSF, CREUP, SRVS, LSS, LSA, PSRP, OH, KSU, UNEL, VSS-UNES-USU, SUS