Health condition of Armenian hunger-striker Raffi Ovannisyan is worse, doctors say

The state of health of the leader of the oppositional "Heritage" Party Raffi Ovannisyan, who is holding, starting from March 15, his hunger strike right in Freedom Square of Yerevan, is causing some concern in doctors; they are persistently urging the protester to stop his action.

Tina Maokhasyan, a therapist from the city polyclinic No. 4, told reporters that the hunger-striker Ovannisyan has some health problems; in particular, his blood tension goes down from time to time. Besides, he now drinks less water, whereas, according to the doctor, Ovannisyan should drink some 2-3 litres of water per day. According to her story, if he continues his hunger strike he may have problems with vision, kidneys and liver.

On March 28, a number of public figures of Nagorno-Karabakh called on Raffi Ovannisyan, leader of the Armenian "Heritage" Party, to stop his action.

Mr Ovannisyan himself had stated that he would continue as long as his health permits. "Should the situation with my health comes to critical, then I would reconsider my decision to continue the hunger strike; however, I'll go on until my health permits," he said.