"We all want to be cleansed of our sins"
A group of Armenian intellectuals has issued an open letter urging Armenians to join hunger striker Raffi Hovannisian.
"Raffi Hovannisan has taken a step, an important step aimed at subordinating politics to morality.
Hovannisian has expressed readiness to sacrifice himself for the sake of public morality since political morality is identical with public morality, the lack of which is highly felt in Armenia. Moral politics gives rise to public morality.
Raffi Hovannisan has taken a step. What will be the answer of Armenian citizens, president, prime minister, ministers and others? Shall we turn a blind eye to Hovannisian's move? Shall we become Pontius Pilates?
Raffi Hovannisan has taken a step for morality, freedom and dignity, for human values.
We must not sit idle. We must join him in his struggle and voice our support for him. We must do it for our self-purification as we want to be cleansed of our sins," reads the letter.
During the extraordinary congress of Heritage on March 15, Raffi Hovannisian urged Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan to resign and to ensure fair and independent elections in the country. He also announced the start of "Freedom Fast" hunger strike in Yerevan's Liberty Square.
