Akbar Hashemi's Memoirs - December 7, 1999 - Meeting with Gholamhossein Karbaschi, Who Was on Temporary Leave from Prison, Accompanied by Sadegh Kharrazi and Seyed Hassan Khomeini

The most significant event of today’s memoir is Hashemi’s meeting with Gholamhossein Karbaschi, who was on temporary leave from prison and was accompanied by Sadegh Kharrazi and Seyed Hassan Khomeini.

This meeting is historically important as it revolved around the delicate matter of requesting a pardon from Ayatollah Khamenei. Karbaschi had concerns about this, fearing that such a request might imply acceptance of the initial court ruling presided over by Mohseni Ejei, and the subsequent appeal.

However, the course of events led to Karbaschi writing the pardon request, which Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani endorsed and forwarded to the Office of the Supreme Leader. Yet, as coordinated with Ayatollah Hashemi Shahroudi, the head of the judiciary at the time, and Ayatollah Khamenei himself, Karbaschi was not released from prison until he explicitly wrote the pardon request. Some of the charges in the case remained open, though no further updates were given on whether they were addressed or not, which will be elaborated on in future memoir entries.

The U.S. and NATO leaders have warned Russia that if the threat materializes, the people of Grozny will pay a heavy price. The International Monetary Fund has delayed the payment of a $620 million loan installment to Russia.

Mr. [Ali] Abdollahian came and advised me about participating in the elections and the importance of cooperation among Islamic forces. He mentioned that the primary forces of the revolution have placed their hopes for saving the country from chaos solely on me.

My brother Mohammad, [Deputy Chief of Staff of the President], came and reported that his trip to China was fruitful. He mentioned that in a private meeting, he delivered my message to President Jiang Zemin regarding the need for China to honor its contract to build a nuclear power plant. At their request, he also visited the center for launching intercontinental missiles and satellites. We discussed both my potential candidacy in the [Sixth Parliamentary] elections and the matter of Mr. Karbaschi’s pardon.

Dr. [Ahad] Milani-Nia came. We agreed that I should undergo a check-up after Ramadan. In the afternoon, I had an extensive interview with the Entekhab newspaper, answering questions on political, economic, and cultural issues. I also mentioned the growing likelihood of my participation in the elections, which this newspaper has been persistently following for some time.

In the evening, Mr. Gholamhossein Karbaschi, who is on temporary leave from prison, came to my home. Mr. Sadegh Kharrazi and Hassan Khomeini also arrived. We discussed the issue of requesting a pardon. While Karbaschi is interested in being pardoned, he is reluctant to submit such a request if it implies his acceptance of the court’s ruling as legitimate.

He mentioned some irregularities in the judiciary and shared details about difficult cases of prisoners. He also criticized the political disorder and economic stagnation in Mr. Khatami’s government. He said that during a meeting at the home of Mr. [Fakhruddin Ahmadi Danesh] Ashtiani, attended by government supporters, he raised these points, noting that the tolerance for opposition was higher during my presidency. He remarked that journalists were not under as much pressure back then and that the Salam newspaper, which was established during my administration and consistently opposed the government, was allowed to operate, but it was shut down under the current government.

All three insisted that I run in the [Sixth Parliamentary] elections to prevent extremism and restore moderation to the country.

I called Fati to check on her condition. She is improving but still needs to stay in the hospital for a few more days. She mentioned that she would like to see me before any potential registration for the elections, as it seems she does not agree with my candidacy.