Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi - September 22, 2000 - Report on Sentencing Reductions for Jewish Espionage Defendants

• Report on Sentencing Reductions: The appellate court in Fars Province has reduced the sentences of defendants accused of espionage for Israel.
• Reports on Judicial Rulings: Reviewed rulings related to the "Navaresan" case and the "Jameh" newspaper.
• Continued Controversy: Ongoing tensions surrounding the Office of Strengthening Unity’s retreat in Khorramabad, including restrictions placed on its speakers.

Full Diary Entry:

I wrote about the two days of travel and reviewed the reports. Although the appellate court has reduced the sentences for those accused of spying for Israel, the U.S., Israel, and Jewish communities are still demanding accountability. The crisis over fuel prices in the U.S. continues, with discussions about tax reductions on fuel becoming more serious. The situation has also taken on the color of electoral campaigning, with Democrats proposing to use national fuel reserves to stabilize the market, while Republicans label it an electoral trick.

In Afghanistan, the Taliban are making advances, and the U.S. is applying serious pressure on Russia to prevent the transfer of laser technology to Iran. Meanwhile, Iran has announced the successful test of the Shahab-3 missile, and Pakistan has announced the testing of the Shaheen missile, which is capable of carrying nuclear warheads. Some Western governments have proposed easing sanctions on Iraq and are prepared for air travel to Iraq, seeking to reduce war reparations from 30% to 20% of Iraq’s oil revenue.

I was at home, reading reports related to the rulings in the Navaresan case and the [Publishing and Printing] Jameh Company, the publisher of the Jameh and Towse newspapers. I spent part of my time correcting the index for interpretive guidance and studying psychology books. Some of the children gathered. Fati has been accepted into the doctoral program at a university in Poland. Mohsen discussed memories from 1361 [after the crisis]. The Friday sermons today included a celebration of the eight years of sacred defense and condemnation of critics. Following the Khorramabad incident, local Hezbollah members usually prevent prominent and leftist radical speakers from attending and speaking. This includes figures such as [Abbas] Abdi [journalist], [Seyed Hashem] Aghajari [professor at Tarbiat Modares University], and [Abdul Karim] Soroush [philosopher and religious reformist], who have faced such restrictions recently in cities like Qom, Garmsar, Semnan, and Qaem Shahr.