Mediation with EU Business School Ends Without Resolution — Formal Accusations and Demand for Accountability

For immediate release. The following statement was submitted to International Students Society for publication by Abdelrahman Zarad. It is reproduced as received, subject to editorial formatting.

Following the failure of the mediation process between myself and EU Business School, I am announcing my intention to pursue further legal and regulatory action concerning what I consider serious failures of justice, institutional governance, and accountability.

The mediation process addressed allegations arising from my academic experience, including academic obstruction, discrimination, racism, unequal treatment, and abuse of authority.

Despite the seriousness of these allegations and their consequences for my education, the mediation has ended without providing what I consider an adequate remedy or meaningful accountability.

I therefore regard the failure of mediation not as the conclusion of this dispute, but as the beginning of a broader accountability process.

My accusations

I accuse EU Business School, through actions and decisions taken by individuals operating within its academic and management structures, of failing to protect my educational rights and of permitting or participating in conduct that I believe resulted in unjustified academic obstruction and discriminatory treatment.

I further raise serious concerns regarding whether informal private networks, closed groups, undisclosed associations, or other coordinated relationships operating within or around the institution may have influenced decisions affecting international students.

Where such networks, associations, or relationships have acted collectively to encourage discrimination, hostility, reputational attacks, retaliation, academic obstruction, or abuse of institutional authority against international students, I consider such conduct sufficiently serious to require examination by the competent authorities.

I am not claiming the role of investigator, prosecutor, or judicial authority.

It is the responsibility of the competent German authorities, courts, and regulatory bodies to obtain and assess evidence, identify the individuals involved, determine whether coordinated networks or relationships existed, and establish whether any conduct violated German law.

Management accountability

A central question must now be answered: who, at management and academic decision-making level, authorised, influenced, participated in, or implemented the actions taken against me?

I demand that individual responsibility should not be concealed behind the legal identity of the institution.

Where evidence establishes individual responsibility, those who exercised institutional authority should be identified and required to answer before the appropriate legal authorities for their decisions and conduct.

The competent authorities should also determine:

• Awareness: whether members of management were aware of discriminatory or hostile conduct;
• Complaint handling: whether complaints and concerns were properly investigated and handled;
• Influence: whether internal relationships or informal networks improperly influenced academic or administrative decisions;
• Use of authority: whether institutional authority was used to protect individuals rather than safeguard students' rights;
• Governance: and whether failures in governance enabled misconduct to continue without adequate accountability.

From mediation to accountability

The mediation process represented an attempt to resolve this dispute without litigation. That opportunity has now ended without resolution.

My next actions will therefore seek independent scrutiny of the institution's governance, decision-making processes, internal accountability mechanisms, and the conduct of individuals involved in my case.

I intend to request that the competent authorities examine the available records and evidence and determine whether the circumstances demonstrate individual misconduct, institutional governance failures, discrimination, abuse of authority, or coordinated action against an international student.

This matter is no longer simply a disagreement concerning an academic result. It has become a demand to determine: was institutional authority abused? Who was responsible for the decisions and actions concerned? Did other individuals or networks coordinate or influence such conduct? And why did the institution's governance and accountability mechanisms fail to prevent or correct it?

“The failure of mediation does not end the demand for justice. It moves that demand from mediation to accountability.”

Status of these claims

The accusations set out above are allegations made by the author. They have not been established by a court, tribunal, regulator or other competent authority, and International Students Society has not independently verified them. No adverse finding against EU Business School or any individual should be inferred from their publication.

International Students Society is an independent media and public-interest platform. Publication of this statement does not constitute endorsement of its allegations or a legal determination regarding the matters described.