Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi - March 19, 2001 - The Release of the Revolutionary Court's Statement Following the Arrest of National-Religious Activists

The Release of the Revolutionary Court's Statement Following the Arrest of National-Religious Activists
Meeting with Abolfazl Mohammad Ali Khani, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic in Brunei

Meeting with Fariborz Labafi Nejad and His Request for the Administrative and Political System's Attention to His Experiences

Meeting with Morteza Bank for Political Consultations

Report from Mohsen Hashemi on the Progress of the Cultural Complex and the Rafsanjan Museum Documentation Center

Meeting with Seyed Enayatollah Dastgheib and His Request to Be Hired by Tehran Metro

Meeting with Brigadier General Ahmad Dadbin and Political Consultations

The Release of the Revolutionary Court's Statement Following the Arrest of National-Religious Activists

The Suspension of the Newspaper "Doran Emrooz" and Three Magazines: "Payam Emrooz," "Matin," and "Jame’e Madani"

Full Diary Text:

Mr. Abolfazl Mohammad Ali Khani, the newly appointed ambassador to Brunei, came. He will be a resident ambassador, which is new, as we previously had non-resident ambassadors [accredited] for Brunei. A few years ago, our newly established embassy in Brunei was closed, and this is a way to compensate for that. I told him to try and open avenues for cooperation in oil, gas, and trade.

Mr. Fariborz Labafi Nejad, [the brother of the martyr Morteza Labafi Nejad and advisor to the Minister of Industries and Mines], came. He recounted his background: before the revolution, he was a member of the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization and lived in hiding for several years. After his brother's martyrdom, he was arrested, and after being released from prison, he went to the United States. He returned to Iran in 1988 after studying and working there, bringing his American wife and children. Now his wife has divorced him and left with the children. He has been working as a colleague to the Minister of Industries but hasn’t been given any tasks or paid recently, so he asked for help resolving his issue.

Mr. [Morteza] Bank, deputy [administrative and financial] minister of Foreign Affairs, came. He expressed concern about the country’s economic, cultural, and political situation. He said the foreign political situation was better during my time, especially regarding neighboring countries. He mentioned that we’ve recently lost Turkmenistan’s support and that several Arab countries have canceled Mr. [Kamal] Kharrazi’s, [the Foreign Minister], planned visits, except for Syria and Lebanon. He asked me to intervene to save the country and criticized the behavior of the judiciary.

At lunch, I watched a film with Mohsen about the cultural complex and [the Documentation Center, Library, and] Rafsanjan Museum. It was interesting. In the afternoon, Mr. [Seyed Enayatollah] Dastgheib Shirazi came. Before the revolution, he was the mayor of Abadan. He recounted his background, read poems he had written, and requested help in finding a job with Tehran Metro. General [Ahmad] Dadbin, one of the advisors to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, came. He used to be the commander of the army’s ground forces. He expressed concern about the country’s situation, saying that no one is focused on solving fundamental problems. He said that people expect me to act as I did in the past to save the country and to run for president again. I said I disagree with the idea of the country being dependent on one person. I have played this role in the past, but I prefer that new managers be developed to lead the country.

Today, the Revolutionary Court issued a statement on the counter-revolutionary and subversive actions of the National-Religious activists, including the Freedom Movement of Iran, banning all political activities under any name. Additionally, the Press Court suspended the "Doran Emrooz" newspaper and the three magazines "Payam Emrooz," "Matin," and "Jame’e Madani." This will be seen as a harsh move and will add pressure on Mr. Khatami [the president] and the reformists. There will likely be strong foreign reactions, especially considering the recent remarks by the Leader at Amir Kabir University, where he labeled those advocating for legal overthrow as "mohareb" (those who wage war against God). This, along with his recent Friday sermon, is seen as being connected to the suspensions.

The GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) foreign ministers’ meeting in Riyadh issued a harsh and brazen statement against Iran regarding the islands. In Palestine, the clashes are intensifying, and there is no sign of agreement. The U.S. tone toward Iraq has become harsher, and relations with Mr. Khatami’s administration have cooled slightly.

The issue of a U.S. Navy fighter jet accidentally bombing U.S. forces during a military drill in Kuwait, killing six and wounding others, is still under investigation and discussion.