Misr International University (MIU) threatened one of two suspended students with referral to the prosecution for not apologising for charges, which were claimed to have been “forged”.
Mostafa Tawfik, who had taken part in protests two years ago, was suspended in February for “insulting the university”.
On Tuesday, a meeting to discuss the report Tawfik filed at the university against his suspension was held, attended by professors and his mother and older brother.
“We are giving you an offer. Mostafa’s semester has already been dropped for attendance and he will not be permitted to take his exams, so let him sign an apology and a pledge not to repeat his actions,” said the Dean of the Faculty of Business, Ahmed Fekry.
Tawfik’s family did not agree to apologising for “forged accusations”, as this would mean admitting to what the university claims is the truth.
Fikry responded by threatening to refer the student to the prosecution on charges of attempting to assemble a sit-in.
Tawfik was threatened with imprisonment in a previous investigation.
He had stayed late at the university on the day he was suspended, requesting an official paper of the decision. The university refused to give him a document that day, and threatened him with calling security forces.
“What kind of charge is a one and half hour one-man sit-in?” Tawfik said.
Tawfik received an email an hour after the meeting informing him that he was “referred to investigation…and will be informed later of its date”.
When asked why the university is doing this to him, Mass Communications Professor Amany Bassiouny replied: “Because you are Mostafa Tawfik.”
Tawfik, along with student Wafeeq Nabil, has been suspended for three weeks. Three weeks of absence from classes will result in Nabil repeating the semester and graduating Tawfik repeating the whole year.
