German University students in their protests last week (Photo: Dina mahmoud)
Students at the German University in Cairo (GUC) have voted on Monday to suspend a strike they started last week after the death of a student due to what they said was negligence by the university's administration.
Yara Tarek, a 19-year-old engineering student at the university, died last Monday after a university bus hit her inside the campus' parking lot.
The suspension comes after talks with administrators who agreed to make changes to the bus parking system – a main demand by the striking students - and assurances that investigations are underway by the university to determine those responsible for the incident and hold them accountable, according to a statement issued by the university's student union on Monday.
The driver responsible for Tarek's death is being investigated by prosecutors. He was released on Thursday and stands accused of manslaughter.
The bus driver denied responsibility for the incident, blaming the administration for neglect and not properly planning the parking lot on campus.
A majority of the students boycotted their midterms on Saturday. In Monday's statement they said a plea was presented to the university administrators to excuse their boycotting the midterms "due to the situation following the painful accident that caused the death of Yara Tarek" and said the plea "will be taken into account" by the administration.
The students had vowed to boycott exams until their demands were met. Photos of empty classrooms during examinations circulated online.
The university sent earlier an email stating that they would not accept absences in midterms or classes unless with a valid reason, as stipulated by university laws.
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