Security forces abuses constituents in Najaf – source

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The office of Shiite cleric Sayyid Mahmoud al-Hassani al-Sarkhi said that security forces in Najaf arrested a number of al-Walaa al-Islami (Islamic Loyalty) list’s constituents, while the province’s police denied the incident. “The list is supported by our office,” Bacim al-Jaberi, al-Sarkhi’s office media manager, told IraqiNews.com news agency. “27 constituents were arrested while they were distributing electoral ads in Najaf,” he said. “Some of the arrested constituents were released, after being tortured,” he added. “At least 10 of the arrested constituents are still in detention,” he noted. For his part, the media director of Najaf police, Captain Ali al-Shareefi, denied that any of al-Sarkhi’s followers were arrested for distributing electoral ads in the province. MH (P)/SR 1