Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi - June 1, 2000 - Meeting with Initial Interrogators of the "Chain Murders" Defendants After Being Removed from Their Roles to Defend Their Actions

Meeting with the Head of the Mosque Headquarters, seeking Hashemi’s intervention for leadership support.

Meeting with Sheikh Rouhollah Hosseinian, expressing grievances about the lack of planning from both the leadership and Hashemi, along with issues that seem to have not been fully disclosed.

Meeting with Dr. Hadi Manafi.

Meeting with the initial interrogators of the so-called "Chain Murders" defendants after their removal from the case, where they defended their actions and made claims about Hamid Sarmadi, the then Deputy Minister of Intelligence for Security Affairs, who was also part of the president's oversight group in the murder case.

Meeting with Abdolali Ali Asgari, presenting political and electoral suggestions.

Mr. [Rouhollah] Hosseinian [Head of the Islamic Revolution Documents Center] came. He expressed his dissatisfaction with the political and physical state of the country. He criticized the lack of planning from the leadership and directed criticisms toward me as well. He also complained about how the leftists have exploited the "Chain Murders" case. Dr. [Hadi] Manafi came, expressing frustration with the current state of the country and mentioning that his wife is suffering from a serious illness.

In the afternoon, [Messrs. Rabani, Bagheri, Javadi, Nikan, and Ghadri], the dismissed interrogators from the "Chain Murders" case, came to defend their actions. They claim that the core issues of the case, where confessions were obtained about espionage and immoral activities, are accurate, and they deny the torture allegations as presented. They expressed frustration over their tarnished reputations. They also stated that Mr. [Ali] Younesi [Minister of Intelligence] and other ministry officials prevented them from continuing their work. They expressed doubts about Mr. [Hamid] Sarmadi’s intentions.

Mr. [Abdolali] Ali Asgari [President of the Cooperation Foundation of the IRGC] came and presented a plan to counter the current situation. He said he was shocked by my withdrawal from the parliament but acknowledged that the rationale behind my decision was clear. I explained the reasons for my withdrawal. He mentioned that the principlist forces were upset by my decision, as it had weakened their morale, and their representatives in the parliament now lack leadership.

He suggested that people and institutions issue statements and petitions calling for me to retract my withdrawal. I replied that I felt relieved and unburdened after withdrawing and had no intention of returning to the parliament.

In the elections for the temporary leadership of the parliament, the Participation Party found itself in a weak position. Despite their wishes, Mr. [Mehdi] Karroubi and Mr. Majid Ansari were elected as the president and vice president of the parliament, respectively. Disputes between the Participation Party and the Association of Combatant Clerics persist.