Shafaq News – Baghdad

Muqtada al-Sadr, the leader of the Patriotic Shiite Movement, on Thursday, disavowed a group of 15 candidates affiliated with his movement and its armed wing, Saraya al-Salam, for defying his decision to boycott Iraq’s upcoming parliamentary elections.

The announcement came in a list issued by al-Sadr’s private office, naming the individuals and bearing a handwritten note from him, “I disavow all of them.”

Despite the disavowal, al-Sadr urged his supporters not to target or harass the individuals, but to simply refrain from supporting them.

Al-Sadr remains resolute in his decision to boycott Iraq’s upcoming parliamentary elections, despite ongoing mediation efforts by leaders within the Coordination Framework (CF),

First announced in March, the boycott of this election was recently reiterated in a statement outlining conditions for potential participation, including disarming armed groups, empowering the army and police, protecting Iraq’s sovereignty, and prosecuting corrupt officials.