Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi - 12 October 2001

Sheikh Abdullah Noori met with me during his prison leave. Following consultations with his brother Dr. Alireza Noori and learning about Ayatollah Khamenei's negative opinion on his pardon proposal, he suggested remaining silent to convey this to the leader of the Islamic Republic. Hashemi narrates the request for pardon by the father of Manouchehr and Akbar Mohammadi and a phone call from Manouchehr Mohammadi from prison with Seyed Hossein Marashi Ali Abadi, a notary public in Tehran and Hashemi's brother-in-law, requesting a pardon; Akbar Mohammadi later died in Evin prison.
 

Complete Diary Entry: 

 The US and British attacks on Afghanistan continued as in previous days, talking about hundreds of human casualties and advances by the northern forces. [George] Bush, [President of the United States], said that the war in Afghanistan could last for two years and if the Taliban handed over bin Laden, [the leader of Al-Qaeda], there might be a reconsideration. News reported that one American special forces soldier was killed and another wounded, and limited clashes occurred on the Uzbek border between the Taliban and Uzbekistan, injuring several Uzbeks. 

 The US ordered the media to censor Taliban content. Italy also presented a plan to the parliament to censor war news!! Demonstrations against the US continued in most countries worldwide, especially after Friday prayers in Islamic countries, being very widespread. Mr. [Ahmed] Bukhari, the Imam of the Grand Mosque in Delhi, introduced bin Laden as a hero. In Iran, marches and resolutions were held in most cities. No one expected such widespread support for the Taliban and opposition to the US. Westerners extensively advertised aid to the Afghan people, usually dropping supplies by parachute, but no one paid much attention. The bomb and food policy was not successful, and there were reports of some supplies being set on fire by the Afghan people. It was announced that a Ukrainian missile was responsible for the downing of the Russian plane, and the nuclear submarine Kursk was finally brought out of the water. 

 At night, Mr. Abdullah Noori, [former Minister of the Interior], came. He was on prison leave. He learned that the leadership had rejected his pardon proposal. He was upset and wanted to assure me that he had no plans for opposition and would remain silent. The father of Akbar and Manouchehr Mohammadi, who are imprisoned due to the [events] of 18 Tir [July 1999] at the University of Tehran. He has sent another letter from prison requesting pardon, and Manouchehr himself also called Mr. Hossein Marashi - my brother-in-law - from prison, asking him to tell me that he was not against the regime and had requested a pardon.