Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani's Memoirs - October 14, 1999 After my one-on-one discussion with Ayatollah Khamenei and hearing his stance on Ataollah Mohajerani and Abdullah Nouri, today I read the lengthy indictment issued by the prosecutor's office.

Following my one-on-one discussion with Ayatollah Khamenei, during which I heard his stance on Ataollah Mohajerani and Abdullah Nouri—whose lengthy indictment was recently issued by Mohammad Ebrahim Nekounam, the Special Clerical Court Prosecutor of Tehran, and sent to the Special Clerical Court—I held a meeting with several officials regarding this matter. Today, I read the lengthy indictment from the prosecutor's office.

I found part of the indictment defensible, but some sections were excessively harsh. (Later, Abdullah Nouri was tried and sentenced to a long prison term by the second branch of the Special Clerical Court, presided over by Sheikh Mohammad Salimi. The issuance of this prison sentence, alongside the indictment and Ayatollah Khamenei’s remarks to me, makes the outcome understandable and worth reflecting upon.)

I went to my office in Koushk. My day was spent reading, both in the morning and the evening. I read the lengthy indictment of Mr. Abdullah Nouri, [Editor of Khordad newspaper in the Special Clerical Court]. While some parts were justifiable, others were quite harsh. I also reviewed a report on the drought, which has caused serious problems for the country this year, and I studied for my Friday sermon.

The media is still focused on the coup in Pakistan. There is ongoing debate about whether a military government will be formed or whether a new civilian government will take power. Canada has suspended Pakistan’s membership in the Commonwealth, and [Kofi Annan], the Secretary-General of the United Nations, has condemned the coup.

[Hubert Védrine], France’s Foreign Minister, made another negative statement, saying he will question Mr. [Seyyed Mohammad] Khatami about the case of 13 Jews during his upcoming visit to Paris. He also said that this trip was requested by Iran. In response, the spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry described Védrine's comments as interference in Iran’s internal affairs. Several newspapers, including Kayhan and Resalat, have published harsh articles condemning this trip, highlighting points such as the trip being initiated by Iran, the ambiguity over whether UNESCO or the French government is the host, the activation of opposition and the Mojahedin Khalq in France, and the simultaneous presence of Salman Rushdie. These papers also emphasized that France is trying to strengthen the left-wing faction in Iran. Given that the Supreme Leader has not been convinced of the necessity of such a trip, it is likely that Kayhan was inspired by this stance.