Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi - October 3, 2001 - Follow-up Meeting with Masih Mohajeri and Case of His Brother, Hadi Mohajeri, Chief of Staff to the First Vice President

• Meeting with Mostafa Vaez Tabasi and continued follow-ups regarding the case of his brother, Nasser Vaez Tabasi, referred by Hashemi to Sheikh Abbas Ali Alizadeh, the then Chief Justice of Tehran Province.
• Meeting with Ahmad Qazayi, the then Ambassador of the Islamic Republic in Baku, and political consultations.
• Meeting with General Hassan Danai Far and Mahmoud Vaezi, and advice to seize the opportunity for rapprochement with the U.S.
• Follow-up meeting with Masih Mohajeri regarding the case of his brother, Hadi Mohajeri, Chief of Staff to the First Vice President.
• Report by Sheikh Ali Younesi, Minister of Intelligence, on the replacement of special assistants and security officers in the ministry and restructuring of the ministry.
• One-on-one meeting with Ayatollah Khamenei, where Hashemi recounted the leader’s warning to the Supreme National Security Council against engaging and getting close to the U.S. and cooperating with this country, and the context of the dismissal of Sheikh Habibollah Mohammadian, Imam of Zahedan, and the case of Hadi Mohajeri, who was later acquitted, as well as Sheikh Abdollah Noori.

Full Diary Entry:

Mr. Mostafa Vaez Tabasi, [son of Mr. Abbas Vaez Tabasi, custodian of the Astan Quds Razavi], came. He explained about the misuse of his brother Nasser by certain individuals, particularly someone named Tajik, which led to the existing cases and his being banned from leaving the country, stating that his warnings have not been heeded. An appointment was arranged for a meeting with Mr. [Abbas Ali] Alizadeh, [the Chief Justice of Tehran Province].

Our ambassador in Azerbaijan, Mr. [Ahmad] Qazayi, came. He stated that the cancellation of President Heydar Aliyev's trip to Iran was due to Iranian side's obstruction in preparing a joint statement, and that Iran, unlike before, was unwilling to condemn Armenia [for occupying the Nagorno-Karabakh region] and complained about obstructions in the Foreign Ministry and other areas regarding cooperation between the two countries.

Mr. [Hassan] Danai Far, [Deputy for Administrative and Financial Affairs of the Expediency Discernment Council], came and said that the current situation presents a golden opportunity for solving our problems with America; in the evening, Mr. [Mahmoud] Vaezi, [former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs], echoed this sentiment. Mr. Masih Mohajeri, [the President’s advisor and editor-in-chief of the Islamic Republic newspaper], mentioned examples of the Intelligence Ministry’s cunning actions concerning [the case of his brother], the Chief of Staff to the First Vice President.

In the evening, Mr. [Ali] Younesi, the Minister of Intelligence, along with Mr. [Mohammad] Pourfallah, [the special assistant of the Ministry of Intelligence], came. They explained the ministry's reform program and mentioned the replacement of special and security assistants as steps towards making the ministry independent from political inclinations. They provided explanations about Afghanistan, the U.S., current events, and a case regarding certain needs, stating that during the occupation of Kuwait, rumors circulated; the details resembled a legend.

That night, I was a guest of the leader. He stated that the Supreme National Security Council had been advised to avoid cooperating with the U.S. and not to engage in actions that suggest weakness or compromise. They expressed dissatisfaction with their lack of progress and synthesis. The conversation also covered Mr. [Habibollah Mohammadian], the Imam of Zahedan, the issue of issuing permits for new newspapers, and the case of the Chief of Staff to the First Vice President, as well as the amnesty for Mr. Abdollah Noori. They mentioned that new positions would be announced tomorrow.