Akbar Hashemi's Memoirs - November 11, 1999 - Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani's Recount of the Correspondence between Ayatollah Khomeini and Montazeri in April 1989

Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani revisited the April 1989 correspondence between Ayatollah Khomeini and Ayatollah Montazeri, prompted by Sheikh Abdullah Nouri's reference to it during his trial at the Special Clerical Court.

I stayed in my office until the afternoon. I had not slept well the previous night and was feeling tired. In the afternoon, I went to the Kooshk office and later returned home near sunset. Yasser, Maryam, and Leili visited, bringing dinner. Yasser and I discussed the next edition of Crossing the Crisis and the support activities of the Strategic Research Center.

For the past few days, there has been rainfall across the country, bringing much-needed relief.

Yasser asked about the truth behind Imam Khomeini's letters regarding the dismissal of Ayatollah Montazeri, due to the questioning of the authenticity of the April 6, 1989 letter in Abdullah Nouri's defense during his trial. We reviewed my memoirs from April 6, 7, and 8 of that year.

It is clear that the letters were very harsh, and Imam Khomeini was extremely upset. Due to my insistence, as well as that of Mr. Khamenei, Mr. Meshkini, and Mr. Amini, the broadcast of the letters was canceled, and their delivery—which was supposed to be carried out by Mr. Khamenei and me—was delayed because neither of us wanted to deliver the letter. Subsequently, Ayatollah Montazeri submitted his resignation in writing, which led Imam Khomeini to write another letter, sent on April 8, 1989.

Reports indicate that the Special Clerical Court's jury has found Mr. Nouri guilty on 15 counts, with no possibility of leniency in some of the charges.

In Pakistan, the military government has officially charged Nawaz Sharif and several former officials with conspiracy to assassinate [Pervez] Musharraf.