Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – July 21, 1989

The companions generally slept after the prayer. I walked a little in the gardens around the villa. We had breakfast at eight in the morning. We went to the sea to swim. We threw the fishing hook into the water, but we did not catch any fish.

While jumping from the pier, my toe nail was broken and injured. After swimming, Mr. Ebrahimi - Bahyar - who came with the team, did the dressing. He wanted to give anti-tetanus injection, I did not agree. He wanted to remove the rest of the nail, but I did not agree. I don't think it's important.

To visit the shores of the Caspian Sea by helicopter, we left for the east at half past ten. We went all along the coast to the last northeastern point on the Soviet border, in order to see the natural condition of the beaches and the presence of people in the sea, they flew close to the land. The beach is very beautiful and usable much more than this. From Sari coast to the east, it is not of interest to travelers and locals, and like the western part, it is not developed and used.

The sea level has risen and some facilities near the water are either damaged or threatened. But in this sector, there are no important facilities that will suffer a lot of damage. The view of tourist areas for travelers from above is very beautiful. Ashurade Island has changed due to rising water.

We landed next to the "Makhtumaghli" border post. I visited the police station. They had four ranks and eight soldiers. Their organization consists of four officers, four non-commissioned officers and sixteen soldiers. As far as the eye could see, there was no trace of a settlement or outpost on Soviet soil. The commander of the checkpoint said that he had no contact with the Russians and that they had no incidents, encounters, or interactions. On our side, there is pasture land for about one kilometer, and then there is rainfed agricultural land that was harvested this year. There were still bales of straw in the desert and part of the rest of the straw had been set on fire to strengthen the ground. They said that the police station's car is broken, they go back and forth with a tractor, and in winter, the sea water rises near the police station, that's why they didn't have trees or buildings.

On the way back, we flew two or three kilometers above the coast to see the lands, villages and roads. The lands and the region are very prosperous. We almost did not see any unintended points. The buildings of the villages are relatively good and they have car roads. It seemed that the rise of the sea water caused the land near the coast to sink in some places.

We arrived at the residence at around one o'clock in the afternoon. My foot sore caused me pain due to the pressure of the shoe. We changed the band. The fatigue of the helicopter had aggravated the back and leg pain. I felt better this morning. The helicopters went to Ghaem Shahr for refueling and we rested after lunch until five o'clock and then flew to the west coast. We were supposed to go to Astara, but because the helicopters were delayed, we only reached Tenkabon. We left at half past five and returned at half past seven.

The beaches on this side are much more prosperous and populated. They have taken almost everywhere and built beaches and villas; Most of them are personal. It is from the army and other organizations. Usually, the swimming area for women and men is separated by mat walls, but in some cases, men and women are in the sea together, but they go in the water with clothes and scarves or tents; It is not as strict as I heard.

On the way back, we came through the beach and forests; This part seems to be more prosperous than the eastern part. In the evening, we went to the sea and swam a little and came back; Prayer and dinner and then sleep. I listened to local and foreign radios in the morning and at night, there was no new problem.

Mr. [Mahmoud] Vaezi [Deputy Foreign Minister] informed by phone from Tehran that the Foreign Minister of Austria said that Iran is most likely involved in the murder of Qasemlou. I said consult for the answer. He said that the Austrians have treated well. The Iranian officer was acquitted and sent to Iran.