Kosovo police use tear gas against students

Police units used tear gas and pepper spray on Thursday to disperse hundreds of protesters, mostly students, outside the offices of the dean of main public university in Kosovo. Ambulances deployed in front of the Pristina University to provide medical assistance to a dozen of injured protesters, who for the second successive week are protesting and demanding the resignation of the dean of Pristina University, Ibrahim Gashi, following accusations of corruption and mismanagement. The students' protests erupted last week following local media reports that Gashi and dozens of other university staff published their research work in fictitious journals abroad, mainly in India, to falsify their teaching credentials. Gashi admits the wrongdoing, claiming they didn't know the journals were fictitious, however firmly rejects to comply with students' demands and resign. In contrary he insists the achievements of the university during his nearly two year management are significant and that the protests are politically motivated. The students demand immediate resignation of the dean of the university and start of investigations on the abuses and corruption in the university. Many civil society activists joined the protest on Thursday, while the Kosovo Assembly discussed the matter during the plenary session.