Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani's Diary - May 4, 1999 - Trial of Jews Accused of Espionage in Shiraz Revolutionary Court

 May 4, 1999 - Trial of Jews Accused of Espionage in Shiraz Revolutionary Court

Trial of Jews Accused of Espionage in Shiraz Revolutionary Court and the Judiciary's publicity surrounding the accused individuals and the press, as recounted by Hashemi.

Meeting with Mansour Razavi and consultations on the country's situation and reports from the Tehran City Council.

Meeting with Sheikh Mohammad Shafei and Amir Tehrani, then-deputy ministers of intelligence, and a report on the interrogation of the chain murder suspects by the previous and new interrogation teams.

Meeting with Mohammad Hashemi and his request for Hashemi's permission and approval to obtain a newspaper license for one of his colleagues.

Meeting with Mohammadi, the head of the then-special office of the head of the judiciary, and Sheikh Fazlollah Yazdi, and Hashemi Shahroudi's expression of happiness about Hashemi's recent sermons.

The second session of the trial of thirteen Jews accused of espionage was held. Fifty foreign journalists also attended to cover the event. A person named "[Hamid] Taflin" explicitly confessed to spying for Israel and receiving training and money in an interview, confusing the media and Zionist and Western groups; they are now inactive. Two other Jews accused of espionage, [Shahrokh] Paknehad and [Ramin] Nematizadeh, have also confessed to spying for Israel. These explicit confessions have put America, Israel, and the West in a difficult position, and they are trying to justify it somehow.

The judiciary's actions against individuals and the press have rendered America inactive, and in particular, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting's disclosure of the Berlin Conference has confused them, and a new theory has been put forward by American theorists that America should not openly support Mr. [Seyyed Mohammad] Khatami, [the president], because this will create a weakness for him.

Mr. Engineer [Mansour] Razavi, the former head of [administrative and] recruitment affairs and a member of the Tehran City Council, came. He presented an analysis of the current situation of the country, expressed concern, and suggested solutions by forming guiding nuclei in society, establishing newspapers, and activating influential individuals. He said that rumors are flourishing in the city council meeting.

Mr. [Mohammad] Shafei and Mr. [Amir] Tehrani from the Ministry of Intelligence came. They expressed their gratitude for my Friday sermons and emphasized the necessity of continuing the judiciary's actions and gave a report on the pressures exerted on the chain murder suspects, stating that false confessions have been obtained and have had a negative impact on the Ministry of [Intelligence] and the possibility of complaints and follow-up, as well as the possibility of political maneuvering by the new group investigating the murders, and they pleaded for help in preventing it. My brother Mohammad, [the head of the Central Council of the Executives of Construction Party] came and said that Mr. Barati, one of his colleagues, wants to obtain a newspaper license. He brought a new print of the [book "Performance of the Government"] of Construction and said that the Central Council of the Executives of Construction has decided that no statements should be issued without the approval of the council.

In the afternoon, Mr. Mohammadi from Mr. Hashemi Shahroudi's office and Sheikh Fazlollah Yazdi came. Sheikh Fazlollah is a fellow student from Qom who had problems at the beginning of the revolution due to accusations of collaboration with SAVAK. Mr. Mohammadi said that Mr. Shahroudi was happy and grateful for the support I gave the judiciary in my Friday prayers.

A press support center in Europe has identified ten heads of state around the world as press suppressors, with Iran being second. Individuals like Jiang Zemin, [the president of China], and Mahathir Mohamad, [the prime minister of Malaysia], are also on the list.