Akbar Hashemi's Memoirs - November 13, 1999 - Concerns of President Mohammad Khatami Regarding the Verdict of the Second Branch of the Special Court for Clerics, Given the Nature of Sheikh Abdullah Nouri's Defense in Court

The topic of disclosing reasons for the disqualification of election candidates, which had been a source of disagreement between the Parliament and the Guardian Council, was discussed in the Expediency Council’s meeting. A middle ground was reached by amending certain clauses, and the final approval satisfied both parties to a large extent. However, despite this resolution, many candidates in past elections have reported inadequate responses to their requests for detailed and documented explanations, except in rare cases.

President Mohammad Khatami visited my office after the session. He expressed concern about the possible outcome of Sheikh Abdullah Nouri's trial. Both of us agreed that Nouri’s confrontational defense and insults toward the Leader had made any intercession difficult. Khatami was also worried about the Leader’s negative view of Attaollah Mohajerani, the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, a topic that had surfaced in previous days’ entries and will be discussed further in future notes.

Later, Reza Amrollahi, the former head of the Atomic Energy Organization and the current president of Khajeh Nasir Toosi University, visited me. He had no clear opinion on my potential candidacy for the upcoming parliamentary elections. He expressed dissatisfaction with the current Minister of Science, Mostafa Moeen, and supported the purchase of nuclear laboratories by Islamic Azad University.

Seyed Abolhassan Nawab, deputy to Mohammad Ali Taskhiri, the head of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization, also came to meet me. He explained the financial difficulties facing the seminaries in Qom, stating that Ayatollah Khamenei’s resources were insufficient to cover all the needs. He asked for my assistance in securing additional funds from the government. Nawab also advocated for my participation in the upcoming parliamentary elections, seeing it as the only way to mitigate potential dangers.

He praised my son Mohsen, saying that during their trip to Africa, he had observed that Mohsen was not self-centered but rather concerned about the interests of the revolution and the well-being of those accompanying him. Compared to the heads of other high-ranking officials' offices, Mohsen was seen as more conscientious and positive. Nawab also mentioned that Abdullah Nouri had made numerous offensive remarks during his trial at the Special Court for Clerics.

I stayed in my office that night. The weather was cold, and I didn’t sleep well.