In a published statement today, the Office of the Human Rights Defender urged that college tuition hikes in effect as of today be postponed for students whose families cannot afford to pay.

The HRD said that the drastic hikes, as much as 30%, will prevent some from attaining a college education, a right enshrined in the Armenian Constitution and other international conventions.

Referring to another issue that has stoked public ire of late in Yerevan, the construction taking place at the Pak Shouka (enclosed market), the HRD declared that it was now up to the Police Department to ensure that the illegal construction is immediately halted.

The HRD noted that while representatives of the Ministry of Urban Construction, the Ministry of Culture, and the Yerevan Municipality have made statements describing what is taking place at the market, a registered landmark, as illegal, they have not been apply to halt the construction.

The HRD said the police were legally obligated to step in and halt the ongoing construction and oversee the demolition of what has already been built at the site.