Memories of Akbar Hashemi - February 15, 2002 - Hashemi's Account of Ongoing Detention of Reformists and the Trial of Seyyed Mustafa Tajzadeh, Along with Conflicts with the Judiciary, Which Ayatollah Khamenei Supported

Continuation of the Sessions of the Assembly of Experts and the Failure of the Proposal to Establish Offices for Experts in Provinces, the Election of the Presidency of This Assembly, and Its Media Controversies

Inauguration of the Library, Documentation Center, and Museum of Hashemi’s Presidency in Rafsanjan with the Presence of Seyyed Mohammad Khatami, the Then President

Hashemi's Account of Ongoing Detention of Reformists and the Trial of Seyyed Mustafa Tajzadeh, Along with Conflicts with the Judiciary, Which Ayatollah Khamenei Supported

Full Text of the Daily Journal:

In the morning and afternoon until sunset, we held a session of the Assembly of Experts. The proposal to establish offices for members of the Assembly in the provinces was not approved, causing disappointment among some who had pursued it for two years. During the break, the presidium reviewed and amended the final statement. Elections for the presidium and committee members were held, similar to the previous elections. Mr. [Ali] Moshkini was elected as president, I was elected as the first vice president, Mr. [Ebrahim] Amini as the second vice president, and Mr. [Ghorbanali] Dorri Najafabadi and Mr. [Seyyed Hassan] Taheri Khorramabadi as secretaries.

At the end of the session, we allowed journalists to enter, and in their presence, we read the statement for members to comment on. They made some observations; some criticized the mention of Mr. [Seyyed Mohammad] Khatami's name, while others voiced concerns about support for the judiciary. Mr. Seyyed Mohsen Mousavi Tabrizi, [representative from West Azerbaijan], strongly criticized the investigative committee report during his pre-agenda speech, responding to Mr. Moshkini's statements regarding Velayat-e Faqih. Mr. [Mohammad Ali] Taskhiri, [head of the Islamic Culture and Communication Organization], responded to Mr. [Mohsen] Araki regarding criticisms of the communication organization and the World Assembly of Ahl al-Bayt and the convergence of Islamic sects.

The library, documentation center, and museum of President [Hashemi Rafsanjani] in Rafsanjan were inaugurated today as a cultural, sports, and service complex with the presence of Mr. Khatami, [the President]. Mohsen, [the CEO of the Office for the Publication of the Ideals of the Revolution], provided an explanation. The collection will preserve, prepare, and publish works, objects related to me, and gifts from domestic and foreign sources, as well as plaques, photographs, books, and documents gathered during my tenure as Speaker of Parliament, during the war, and the presidency. The library includes sports, administrative, service, and commercial centers, as well as a park [and a lake and a 3,000-seat stadium]. Vali Asr University of Rafsanjan and the Office for the Publication of the Ideals of the Revolution jointly administer it under the National Archives Organization. Mr. Khatami has honored me in Rafsanjan and Kerman.

The dispute over the detention of leftists and the trial of Mr. [Mustafa] Tajzadeh continues between the judiciary and the leftists, with the leadership supporting the judiciary in yesterday's statements. In El Salvador, an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.6 has occurred, resulting in significant casualties. A Palestinian bus driver has attacked a group of Israeli soldiers, killing nine and injuring several others. The [Islamic] Unity Party of Afghanistan has retaken Bamiyan from the Taliban.