Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi - September 7, 2000 - Holding of the Assembly of Experts and Meeting with Sheikh Abbas Vaez Tabasi

The Assembly of Experts was held, along with a meeting with Sheikh Abbas Vaez Tabasi.

Mild and severe criticisms from the Experts towards Mohammad Khatami and the reformist government.

Hosting of the Experts by Akbar Hashemi and his stance towards the government, focusing on the camp of the Office for Strengthening Unity.

Continuation of the developments surrounding the Office for Strengthening Unity in Khorramabad.

Hashemi's account of a mortar strike at an army base, without further details.

The morning session of the Assembly of Experts focused on the internal regulations. During the break, I spoke with Mr. Abbas Vaez Tabasi, the representative of Khorasan in the Assembly and the custodian of the Astan Quds Razavi. He was suffering from severe back pain and could not stay in the session. He recounted the discussions he had with the leadership in Mashhad regarding the upcoming presidential elections. From noon until 4 PM, I managed various tasks in my office. In the evening, the Assembly held an open discussion. Several representatives delivered speeches, mostly criticizing the actions of Mr. Mohammad Khatami and the reformist camp, while two spoke in support of Khatami's performance.

In the evening, the members of the Assembly were my guests at the Office of the Expediency Council. Ayatollah Ali Meshkini, the head of the Assembly, and Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi made brief remarks, expressing their discontent with the misconduct of some reformists in opposing religious values. I spoke about the necessity of national unity and avoiding divisions among those loyal to the revolution, the audacity of the anti-revolutionaries, foreign governments, and the Mojahedin, while referencing the dire consequences of the events in Khorramabad.

Today, in Borujerd and Pol-Dokhtar, buses carrying members of the Office for Strengthening Unity returning from the seminar were attacked, resulting in several injuries. Last night in the events in Khorramabad, a police officer, Ardshir Karami, was martyred, and several others were injured or arrested. Tomorrow, the martyr's funeral is to be held in Khorramabad. Mr. Fadhel Larijani came and said that during the meeting of the Office for Strengthening Unity, discussions about arming themselves against the regime were held, and some government officials were involved in their actions.

Last night, five mortar shells fired by the Mojahedin hit an army base. Today, there was also a confrontation between the police and a group of Mojahedin in District 5 of Tehran, resulting in one martyr.