Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani's Diaries - 17 Dey 1378 (January 7, 2000)Mehdi Hashemi's Discussion with his Father about Gas Transfer and Sales after Returning from India

Mehdi Hashemi's Discussion with his Father about Gas Transfer and Sales after Returning from India

Continuation of Seyed Hossein Mor'ashi's efforts to secure a pardon for Gholamhossein Karbaschi and his eventual pardon.

Phone call from Mohseni Ejeie, Deputy Chief of Tehran's Justice Department and Head of the Special Judicial Complex and Prosecutor for Religious Affairs, to Hashemi, following a meeting with Hashemi and a discussion about granting leave to Gholamhossein Karbaschi, and subsequently, Hashemi's message to him.

It's important to note that Karbaschi's case was being handled by the Enforcement Department of the Special Judicial Complex, and Mohseni Ejeie's involvement was as the head of that complex, not as the original judge in the case.

Mehdi Hashemi's discussion with his father about gas transfer and sales upon returning from a trip to India.

Hashemi found the discussions surrounding the supervision of the upcoming parliamentary elections in Friday prayers, satellite channels, and reformist newspapers quite interesting.

Continuing the dispute about the start of Eid al-Fitr, which remained unresolved in 1378, Hashemi notes that the announcement of Eid al-Fitr was made at 9 pm that night.

Daily Activities

I spent the day at home with reading and rest. Mr. Hossein Mor'ashi, [Deputy Secretary-General of the Kargozaran Party], came to follow up on the pardon of Mr. Gholamhossein Karbaschi and the [sixth parliamentary] elections.

In the afternoon, Mr. Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejeie, [Head of the Special Court for Religious Affairs], called to inform me that Mr. Karbaschi had been granted leave. Yesterday, I had sent a message through Mohsen, [Head of the Office of the Chairman of the Expediency Discernment Council], asking for leave to be granted for Eid al-Fitr and to discuss the pardon request.

In the evening, Mehdi, [Managing Director of Offshore Installations Company], returned from a trip to India. He said he had gone to investigate the best way to transfer and sell gas. The issue of an Iran-India-Pakistan gas pipeline has been discussed for years. The Indians cannot trust Pakistan to allow the pipeline to pass through, and Pakistan is unwilling to help India. The other options are selling LNG [Liquefied Natural Gas] or laying a pipeline on the seabed.

In many Friday prayers today, the Guardian Council was supported for its oversight of the elections, and the Ministry of Interior was criticized for its lack of sensitivity regarding the qualifications of candidates. Conversely, the issue was discussed on satellite news channels and in left-leaning and reformist newspapers. Finally, at 9 pm, it was announced that tomorrow would be Eid al-Fitr.