Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi - June 28, 2000 - Report by Mohsen Hashemi on the Outcry of Mohammad Ibrahim Nekounam, Then Prosecutor of the Special Court for Clergy, After Seyyed Mohammad Khatami's Speech at the Annual Judiciary Meeting

Meeting with Sardar Movahedi, former Commander of Ansar al-Mahdi Protection Unit, who, after completing his service, joined the Strategic Research Center and requested a senior position from Hashemi.

Meeting with Masih Salim Bahrami, representative of Sari in Parliament.

Meeting with the families of Martyr Alireza Cheraghzadeh Dezfuli, representative of the first Parliament, and Hussein Akbari, former CEO of Agricultural Bank.

Report by Mohsen Hashemi on the uproar and protests by Sheikh Mohammad Ibrahim Nekounam, the then-prosecutor of the Special Court for Clergy in Tehran, after Seyyed Mohammad Khatami’s speech at the annual Judiciary meeting regarding the suspension of newspapers and other related matters. Dr. Hassan Habibi also expressed concerns about the judiciary's centralization policies, fearing that they might cause major disruptions in the current systems and operations.

Meeting with Seyyed Hassan Shafti, Iran's then-ambassador to Spain.

The arrest of Sheikh Mohsen Rahami and Shirin Ebadi in the case of Amir Farshad Ebrahimi.

In this case, Amir Farshad had confessed to his past connections with Ansar Hezbollah and certain officials, which led to his imprisonment for two years, 18 months of which were spent in solitary confinement. Dr. Mohsen Rahami and Ms. Shirin Ebadi, two lawyers who had recorded his confessions, were also imprisoned. In these confessions, Amir Farshad claimed that due to the special connections of rogue groups with centers of power, they were immune from judicial prosecution and punishment and enjoyed privileges provided by government institutions on orders from high-ranking officials.

The Office for Strengthening Unity issued a statement condemning the arrest of Ezzatollah Sahabi and the suspension of the Bayan newspaper.

Protests by members of the Participation Front in the Sixth Parliament against Sheikh Mehdi Karroubi, the Speaker of Parliament.

Mr. Movahedi, former commander of the Ansar Protection Unit, came to visit. He is now working at the Strategic Research Center [of the Expediency Council]. He asked for an official position and raised questions about current events and future forecasts.

[Masih Salim Bahrami], the representative of Sari, came and talked about the severe economic, cultural, and political conditions of Mazandaran Province. He said the people are upset with the government’s neglect of their livelihood. They are thankful for the efforts of the construction government, particularly the martyr Rezai Dam and the large Mazandaran Paper and Wood Company, and are longing for the execution of the Astara-Gorgan Canal and the coastal highway, projects announced during your presidency. He also requested that I visit Mazandaran and help unite the Parliament's value-based representatives.

The families of Martyr Cheraghzadeh [Dezfuli, representative of Ramhormoz in the first Parliament] and Martyr Akbari [former CEO of Agricultural Bank], who were killed on July 7, came to visit. They discussed their livelihood problems, and I consoled them with gifts.

My brother Mohammad [Deputy Executive Director of the President’s Office] came and said that in yesterday’s Judiciary meeting, [Mr. Ibrahim Nekounam], a cleric from the "third line" faction, had protested against Mr. [Mohammad] Khatami, [President of Iran], and Khatami refused to respond. He also expressed concern about the proposed centralization of judicial affairs under the Judiciary, which could potentially disrupt important decisions within ministries.

In the afternoon, Mr. Hassan Shafti, Iran’s ambassador to Spain, came and provided a report on his activities and the situation in Spain. He suggested I take a trip there.

Today it was announced that Mr. Mohsen Rahami, lawyer for Mr. Abdullah Nouri and the Office for Strengthening Unity, along with Ms. Shirin Ebadi [lawyer], were arrested on charges of collaborating in recording a completely false tape of Amir Farshad Ebrahimi. In that recording, numerous accusations were politically directed at senior government officials. The Office for Strengthening Unity issued a statement condemning the Judiciary’s actions in response to the arrest and the suspension of the Bayan newspaper, as well as the arrest of Engineer [Ezzatollah] Sahabi.

In Parliament—both yesterday and today—a group of members from the Participation Front sharply criticized Mr. [Mehdi] Karroubi [Speaker of the Parliament] for not aligning with them on political positions, and right-wing media is amplifying these disputes.

President Khatami’s remarks at the Judiciary meeting, in response to Mr. [Seyyed Mahmoud] Hashemi Shahroudi [Head of the Judiciary], regarding the suspension of newspapers, have been interpreted as contradicting the Supreme Leader’s support for the Judiciary.