Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi - January 29, 2001 - Meeting with Sheikh Abdullah Noori During His Leave from Evin Prison at Hashemi's Residence

Sheikh Abdullah Noori's Account of the Legal Limitations and His Prison Conditions, Along with Criticism of Some Portions of Ayatollah Montazeri's Memoirs

Hashemi's Account of the 50th Tehran Derby Between Persepolis and Esteghlal Football Teams at Azadi Stadium, Ending in a 2-2 Draw

In that derby, Esteghlal had not defeated Persepolis for five years, which heightened the sensitivity of the match, especially due to the presence of Mehdi Hashemi Nasab on the Esteghlal team.

Hashemi Nasab, who had played for Persepolis for three years and scored four goals against Esteghlal in previous derbies, was now facing his former team wearing Esteghlal's jersey.

As violence escalated, the Azadi Stadium's pitch turned into a boxing ring, and the clashes spilled over to the spectators outside the stadium, who also began fighting.

In this series of incidents, buses of the Unit Company were severely damaged, and several drivers were assaulted. After the match, several players from both Persepolis and Esteghlal were suspended.

Visiting Sheikh Mohammad Reza Noori Shahrudi's Garden

This Sheikh, a close associate and trusted confidant of Hashemi, held the responsibility of the Islamic Republic's embassy in Saudi Arabia and Oman and previously served as the head of the office for the chairman of the Assembly of Experts during Hashemi Rafsanjani's presidency.

His son is currently one of the influential businessmen in Iran's vegetable oil industry, working primarily behind the scenes. I will write about him and his cases in due course.

Complete Daily Entry:

In the morning, we went to Karaj. On the way, we encountered buses carrying spectators to the Persepolis and Esteghlal football match, who were excitedly waving their flags out of the windows and chanting slogans. At noon, we were at Mr. Mohammad Reza Noori Shahrudi's garden, located under the Karaj Dam, which he purchased years ago. It is a beautiful garden. Iftah, Mohsen, Saeed, Ali, and Mr. Noori were also present. We returned home in the evening and spent the rest of the night studying.

Sheikh Abdullah Noori, the former Minister of Interior and editor-in-chief of the newspaper Khordad, visited. He spoke about the conditions in prison and his family. There were discussions about the possibility of a review to ease his situation and at least convert his imprisonment to a semi-open prison. He stated he is not opposed to the regime and does not want his imprisonment to undermine the system. He criticized parts of Ayatollah Montazeri's memoirs, claiming they were selectively prepared for specific objectives.

Today, after the football match, players from both teams, Esteghlal and Persepolis, engaged in a brawl, leading to clashes among the spectators as well. Conflicts continued on the roads surrounding the stadium, causing significant damage to the vehicles of the public and embarrassing both teams. Over 100,000 spectators attended, creating several hours of traffic congestion.