Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani's Diary - April 14, 1999Continued Press Coverage of Criticism of the Judiciary and the System: Hashemi continues to recount the intense criticism and controversy surrounding the judiciary and the system in the press

Continued Press Coverage of Criticism of the Judiciary and the System: Hashemi continues to recount the intense criticism and controversy surrounding the judiciary and the system in the press. Ali Larijani's efforts to curb the press and the recent Assembly of Experts' resolution limiting parliamentary investigations are discussed. This time, Larijani is joined by Ali Akbar Velayati, and Hashemi encourages the Assembly to stand firm on its resolution, particularly after Majid Ansari's letter and the reactions from the parliament and the government.

Meeting with Sardar Abdullah Iraqi and Others: A meeting with Sardar Abdullah Iraqi, the then-commander of the Qom and Markazi provinces, the father of Martyr Zain al-Din, the former head of the Martyrs Foundation in Qom, and various commanders from the Basij and IRGC in Qom, along with members of the Qom Martyrs Commemoration Committee. Hashemi criticized the lack of recognition for Colonel Hossein Borbor, despite the confirmation of his murder in a smuggling case, questioning why he wasn't considered a martyr.

Meeting with Mojtaba Rahmandoust: A meeting with Mojtaba Rahmandoust, the then-advisor to President Khatami on veterans' affairs.

Mohammad Hashemi's News: Mohammad Hashemi informed that during a cabinet meeting in the absence of Ataollah Mohajerani, President Khatami expressed dissatisfaction with Mohajerani's performance as government spokesperson. Mohajerani resigned, which Khatami refused to accept. The ministers are to propose a replacement.

Ahmad Hashemian's Request: Ahmad Hashemian, managing director of the Rafsanjan Pistachio Cooperative, and Akbar Safarian visited and requested government assistance due to the company's financial losses.

Meeting with Farmad and Mortazavi: Mr. Farmad and Mr. Mortazavi, the then-implementers of special defense projects, met with Hashemi and presented proposals for specific defense needs. Hashemi did not elaborate further on these proposals in the published diary entry.

Meeting with Sheikh Mohammad Reza Abbasi Fard: Sheikh Mohammad Reza Abbasi Fard, a jurist member of the Guardian Council, reported to Hashemi that the majority of the Guardian Council favored annulling the Tehran elections. However, Ayatollah Khamenei subsequently overruled this decision and approved the results with a decree.

Continued Press Coverage of Criticism of the Judiciary and the System: Hashemi continues to recount the intense criticism and controversy surrounding the judiciary and the system in the press.

Reza Mazrouei's Accident: Reza Mazrouei was involved in a traffic accident and sustained injuries.

Trial of 13 Jewish Individuals: The trial of 13 Jewish individuals accused of espionage began in the Fars province court.

Note: It's worth mentioning that the Ministry of Intelligence arrested these 13 individuals in June 1998 on charges of spying for Mossad. Details of this incident are included in Hashemi's diary entry for June 1998. The detainees included five businessmen, one trainer, two university professors, three teachers, one butcher, and a 16-year-old Jewish boy. Most of them were arrested in Shiraz, and the rest in Isfahan. Their arrest triggered widespread international reactions. After the trial, three were released, and ten received sentences ranging from four to 13 years. Two Iranian Muslims accused of collaborating with them were also sentenced to prison. It is said that all of them later left Iran after their release.

Meeting with Velayati and Larijani: Dr. Velayati and Dr. Larijani visited and discussed the press and the recent Assembly of Experts' resolution regarding parliamentary investigations of institutions under the Supreme Leader's authority. They emphasized that the Assembly should not back down in the face of unfair criticism from the

Okay, let's break down this Persian text and provide a translation with context:

Translation and Context:

* Meeting with Sheikh Mohammad Reza Abbasi Fard:  Sheikh Mohammad Reza Abbasi Fard, a jurist member of the Guardian Council and the executive director of the Expediency Discernment Council, visited. They discussed the recounting of votes in the Tehran elections. Abbasi Fard stated that they are aware of the irregularities in the Tehran elections, and if political considerations were not a factor, the majority of the Guardian Council would vote to invalidate the results. He also mentioned that the reformists (Second of Khordad supporters) are deeply concerned about the potential invalidation of the elections and that Seyed Mohammad Ali Abtahi, the president's chief of staff, had called him to express these concerns.

* Continued Criticism of the Judiciary and the System:  The text mentions that left-leaning media outlets are severely criticizing the judiciary and the system for prosecuting certain writers.

* Reza Mazrouei's Accident:  Reza Mazrouei, a journalist and economic advisor to the president, was involved in a car accident and sustained injuries.

* Trial of 13 Jewish Individuals: An announcement was made that the trial of 13 Jewish individuals accused of espionage would begin in Shiraz the following day.  The text highlights the intensified propaganda efforts by Zionist circles and the appointed lawyers of the defendants, who requested a postponement of the trial. This is notable because in the past, there was pressure to expedite the trial.

In essence, this excerpt from a diary entry (likely Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani's) covers the following key points:

1. Concerns about the Tehran election results: The Guardian Council was considering invalidating the results, and the reformist camp was worried.

2. Increased criticism of the judiciary: The left-leaning media was actively criticizing the judiciary's actions.

3. Reza Mazrouei's accident: An unfortunate incident involving a key figure in the political sphere.

4. Upcoming trial of Jewish individuals: The trial was about to begin, and the context suggests a possible influence of external factors (Zionist circles) and a shift in the approach towards the trial.

I hope this translation and context provide a better understanding of the excerpt. Feel free to ask if you have any more questions or need further clarification on specific parts.

left.

Meeting with IRGC Commanders and Families of Martyrs: A group of IRGC commanders from Qom, families of martyr commanders, the governor, and a parliament representative visited. They presented a report on the upcoming Qom Martyrs Commemoration program, which commemorates approximately 5,200 martyrs. Hashemi spoke about the importance of keeping the memory of the martyrs alive and the constructive impact of the sacrifices of the martyrs on history. He criticized the media for not giving sufficient attention to Colonel Hossein Borbor, who had seven years of jihad experience. The meeting concluded with a mourning ceremony, including elegies, chest-beating, and a religious discourse.

Meeting with Mojtaba Rahmandoust: Mojtaba Rahmandoust, the president's advisor on veterans' affairs, visited and reported on his activities. He is a disabled veteran who lost a leg and an arm and is a university professor. One of his colleagues is a chemical warfare victim.

Mohammad Hashemi's Report: Mohammad Hashemi reported that during a cabinet meeting in the absence of Ataollah Mohajerani, President Khatami criticized Mohajerani's lack of effort as government spokesperson. Mohajerani was offended and resigned, but Khatami refused to accept the resignation. The ministers are to propose a replacement.

Meeting with Ahmad Hashemian and Akbar Safarian: In the afternoon, Ahmad Hashemian, the managing director of the Rafsanjan Pistachio Cooperative, and Akbar Safarian visited. They spoke about the company's difficulties due to Western objections in Japan, making pistachio sales challenging. They also mentioned the company's losses due to the high purchase price of pistachios from farmers. They are considering requesting concessions from the government. They informed that Channel 2, due to high public demand, will broadcast the "Tafsir-e Rahnama" interview program in the evening as well.

Meeting with Farmad and Mortazavi: Mr. Farmad and Mr. Mortazavi from the IRGC visited and made proposals regarding the allocation of sensitive defense needs.