Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi - June 26, 2000 - Arrest of Engineer Ezzatollah Sahabi

Arrest of Engineer Ezzatollah Sahabi

Meeting with Mohammad Raeisi, the then representative of Shahrekord in Parliament.

Meeting with Seyyed Hassan Shojaei Kiasari, former representative of Sari.

Meeting with Amir Araki, who sought help for university projects in Taleqan.

The arrest of Engineer Ezzatollah Sahabi, the son of Dr. Yadollah Sahabi, one of the founders of the Freedom Movement of Iran. He was a politician, economist, national-religious activist, member of the Revolutionary Council, head of the National Economic Mobilization Organization, Tehran representative in the Assembly of Experts, head of the National Industries Organization of Iran, Tehran representative in the first term of the Parliament, head of the Planning and Budget Organization, and the managing director of the *Iran-e Farda* publication. He was also the brother-in-law of Engineer Mehdi Bazargan, the leader of the Freedom Movement of Iran. Ezzatollah Sahabi spent more than 12 years of his life in prisons during the Pahlavi era and three years in the prisons of the Islamic Republic. He passed away in 2011. The story of his arrest and the National-Religious activists in 2000 is a sorrowful one that will be addressed later.

Mr. [Mohammad] Raeisi, the representative of Shahrekord, came and thanked me for helping to resolve his problem in the Guardian Council. He brought samples of his promotional statements in which he introduced himself as a follower of moderate policies, distinguishing himself significantly from his colleagues. He expressed concern over the factionalism and partisan bias of some members of the Sixth Parliament, fearing that it might hinder the Parliament's effectiveness. He also mentioned issues within the judiciary, stating that the Judicial Commission is currently studying a proposal to limit the issuance of checks.

Mr. [Seyyed Hassan] Shojaei Kiasari, former representative of Sari, came. He expressed concern about the state of the country, particularly the political and cultural situation, and asked me to think of a solution to control this situation.

Mr. Amir Araki [son of the martyr Mehdi Araki] came. He encountered problems in building a university in Taleqan, both financially and administratively, and sought assistance. I advised him to talk to the managers of the Islamic Azad University for collaboration and problem-solving.

At night, Fatemeh (Fati), Yasser, and the children, who had returned from their Umrah pilgrimage, came. They were satisfied with their trip.

It was announced that Mr. Ezzatollah Sahabi had been temporarily arrested due to documents found in his office related to the Berlin Conference.