COMMUNISTS in Iraq condemned the detention and harassment of leading party members today as security services continue to block them from campaigning for a boycott of next month’s parliamentary election.

Groups of Iraqi Communist Party (ICP) activists have been set upon by Iraqi government forces while distributing literature explaining why people should refuse to participate in the poll.

Earlier this week, ICP members were prevented from speaking to members of the public in Mahmoudiya and held for more than two hours before being released.