Yerevan State University students resolute on demand for military deferment (updates, photos)

17:25

Vahan Kostanyan read out the group’s statement expressing a strong disappointment with the authorities’ refusal to hear their complaints.

He reaffirmed the students’ strong commitments to their demand and determination to make their voice heard  “from every possible platform”.

Upon the civic group’s proposal, the young protesters decided to head back to the YSU Department of Physics where the five students are continuing their open-ended hunger-strike.

Before leaving the protest site, they announced a joint decision to rally outside the parliament also on Wednesday morning.

15:48

A crowd of protesting students is now outside the National Assembly which is conducting a regular session today to debate the proposed amendments to the law “On Military Service and Status of the Servicemen”.

11:53

The five students currently on a hunger-strike told an approaching correspondent of RFE/RL that they have "declared an open-ended protest" to spend also the night at the University.

“We have decided to keep the door shut as they may ask us out at any moment to end this process. It is our decision to never open the door to encourage more people to join us,” said David Petrosyan, one of the hunge-striking students.

He added that they are boycotting the National Assembly’s move to ban their presence at a recent committee meeting which approved an amended version of the bill, proposing privileges only for the “exceptionally talented”.

Petrosyan said that only the YSU leadership attempted to negotiate with the protesting youth, with no representative of the government demonstrating an active interest in the campaign.

He urged for a stronger support to friends gathered outside the University’s main building.

The chief of the YSU staff, Alik Gharibyan, promised to ensure that neither the students rallying outside nor those hunger-striking in a class-room are subjected to any physical violence.  

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Students of the Yerevan State University are continuing their rally, protesting against the law that proposes a ban on military deferment.  

The controversial legislation, which passed the parliament's first reading in late October, is on the agenda of the National Assembly's Tuesday session.

Five students have declared a hunger-strike, Vahan Kostanyan, a member of the civic group For Developing Science, said in a speech addressing the protesting students and journalists.

“We have several friends currently on a hunger-strike in one of the YSU classrooms,” he said, blaming many for an indifferent attitude.

The activists urged more students to join the campaign.

The crowd later divided into groups to tour classroom and meet with deans and professors.