Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi - April 11, 2001 Release of a Statement by the Majority of the Sixth Parliament in Opposition to the Arrest of National-Religious Figures and the Minority's Support for this Action

Full Diary Text:

Mr. [Ahmad] Toiserkani [Ravari], the Deputy [Political and Judicial of the General Inspection Organization], came by. He requested that the Expediency Council write a strategic and general policy for oversight to save oversight practices, which today have become intrusive, punitive, and lack proper policy and methodology. He is the son-in-law of the late Mr. [Sheikh Ahmad] Tavakoli [Zadeh], who married [Mrs. Batool Bahonar], sister of the martyr [Mohammad Javad] Bahonar at the end of his life. I asked him to clarify the operational nature that the Savak had regarding Mr. Bahonar's sister before the revolution. He wanted me to look into the situation of Mr. [Morteza] Fahim [Kerman], the former judicial authority of the Kerman Revolutionary Court, who is now isolated.

Messrs. [Akbar] Ghamkhwar and [Mahmood] Ahmadpour came in. They have been dismissed from the Foundation of the Disabled and are complaining; they were capable and hardworking managers. Mr. Ahmadpour teaches at the university, and Mr. Ghamkhwar has established a tourism company. They recalled the glorious era of reconstruction and expressed concern about the current stagnation.

Mr. Mohammad, [the Executive Vice President], came and reported on the trip to Mecca and other governmental matters. In the afternoon, Dr. [Abdollah] Jasbi, [the head of the Islamic Azad University], visited. He expressed concern about the potential weakening of the three-person committee that approves the university's fields and consulted me about his candidacy for the [presidential] elections.

One hundred fifty members of the [sixth] parliament wrote a letter to Mr. [Seyed Mahmoud Hashemi] Shahroudi, [the head of the judiciary], opposing the arrest of the national-religious figures. Some groups from the reformist camp have also issued statements. Some representatives from the opposing faction have spoken in support of the Revolutionary Court's actions. Mr. [Ali] Mobashari, the head of the Revolutionary Court, announced that some of them would soon be released on bail.

The United States retreated one more step against China, expressing deep regret in a letter to the Chinese people and admitting that the American plane had landed on the Nansha Islands without permission. China announced that the passengers of the plane would be released soon.