Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – April 29, 1983

Until 10:30 a.m. I was studying at home. The President informed me by phone that the commander in question [Captain Bahram Afzali] had been summoned and was in custody. I said that he should first be questioned there; if he acted honestly and was only a sympathizer, he should not be sent to prison. He agreed. I went to the university for Friday prayers, and on the occasion of Labor Day I spoke about the value of work and the beauty of life in rural areas, agriculture, and production; and I also continued the discussion on social justice.

I rested until the afternoon. The announcement of the arrest of the remaining leaders of the Tudeh Party and the discovery of weapons and... was read. Ahmad Agha called in the afternoon and said that [Bahram] Afzali had not confessed and apparently had been taken to prison for confrontation, and that the Imam had said that the confessions of [Noureddin] Kianouri [Secretary-General of the Tudeh Party] should be broadcast on television on the night of Labor Day. In the evening, Dr. Vahid [Dastjerdi] and [Abolfazl] Tavakkoli [Bina] came and gave a report on their trip to Saudi Arabia, where they had gone to prepare for the Hajj ceremonies. Saudi Arabia has made facilitating housing, food, and... arrangements conditional on resolving the political and security issues.

Dr. Vahid [Dastjerdi] consulted me about accepting responsibility for the Red Crescent [Organization], and Mr. [Abolfazl] Tavakkoli [Bina, head of the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization] complained about the lack of cooperation from Mr. Khatami, the Minister of Islamic Guidance, and they had brought one of the medical students named [Shahab al-Din] Sadr, who complained that Dr. Sheibani [President of the University of Tehran] was giving opportunities to the liberals and neglecting the Hezbollahis. Late at night, Ahmad Agha called to say that [Ayatollah] Mr. Khamenei had ordered the release of Colonel [Bahram] Afzali [Commander of the Navy] after extracting the information.