Akbar Hashemi's Memoirs - January 20, 2000 - Phone Call from Karbaschi for a Leave of Absence and Hashemi’s Message to Mohseni Ejei for Extending His Leave

A report by Mohsen Hashemi to his father regarding the delay in Gholamhossein Karbaschi's pardon process. Ali Asghar Hejazi, deputy head of the office of the Supreme Leader, informed Hashemi that the Head of the Judiciary, Ayatollah Hashemi Shahroudi, raised concerns about the omission of the word "pardon" in Karbaschi's request letter. The account also indicates that the objection may have come directly from Ayatollah Khamenei, who confirmed this in a later phone call with Hashemi, emphasizing the necessity of including the word "pardon."

Karbaschi's phone call from prison requesting more leave, and Hashemi’s subsequent message to Mohseni Ejei, Deputy Chief of the Judiciary and Head of the Special Court for Government Employees, requesting additional leave for Karbaschi.

The Lahouti family (of which Fatemeh and Faezeh are members through marriage) proposed a marriage between Sara Lahouti and Mohammad Lahouti.

I stayed at Kooshk until 4 p.m. Mohsen had called earlier, saying that the process for Gholamhossein Karbaschi’s pardon had hit a snag. Then, Ali Asghar Hejazi from the office of the Supreme Leader called, informing me that Ayatollah Shahroudi, Head of the Judiciary, said that the word "pardon" was not included in Karbaschi’s request, and thus he couldn’t proceed with the letter. Although Shahroudi had heard directly from the Supreme Leader that this was a special case and had His approval, he insisted that the word "pardon" must be included.

It seems that Shahroudi was upset because the process hadn’t gone through him. Karbaschi called me from prison, stating that it would be better if he were out to prevent certain newspapers from stirring up trouble. Finally, I called Shahroudi in Qom. He reiterated that the issue was the absence of the word "pardon" in Karbaschi’s letter and confirmed that the Supreme Leader’s view was the same.

Later that night, I spoke with the Supreme Leader, who emphasized the necessity of including the word "pardon" and said that if the letter were amended by tomorrow, Karbaschi could be released by Saturday. It seems this issue arose because some newspapers had written that Karbaschi’s letter was more of a plea for justice than a pardon request. I conveyed to Mohseni Ejei that Karbaschi should be granted leave to amend his request and to address the press’s negative campaigning against him.

In the evening, members of the Lahouti family came to propose a marriage between Sara [Fati’s daughter] and Mohammad Lahouti. After securing Sara’s approval, the proposal was accepted. Mohammad is the cousin of Dr. Saeed Lahouti [Fati’s husband].

Russian military forces have reportedly entered parts of Grozny over the past few days. They claim to have captured the main bridge in the city center that spans the river, but Chechen resistance remains fierce, and both sides are suffering heavy casualties. It’s said that around 7,000 Chechen fighters are continuing to resist, and they have reportedly captured General Mikhail Malofeyev, one of Russia’s key commanders.

The Council of the European Union has raised the issue of expelling Russia from the council. Meanwhile, a group of Jewish rabbis in the United States has announced that it would be beneficial for Israelis and Palestinians to jointly own the city of Jerusalem, marking a significant shift within the Jewish religious community. In contrast, a faction of rabbis inside Israel is fighting against Ehud Barak [Israeli Prime Minister], opposing any compromises over Jerusalem. One rabbi in Jerusalem even declared Israel to be an occupier and usurper.