SAEDNEWS: In his newly published memoirs from late 2000, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani recounts how a Russian airliner was seized over Turkish airspace and forced to land in Medina by hijackers identifying as Chechens, demanding an end to Moscow’s military intervention.
According to Saed News, in the closing days of Iran’s calendar year 1379 (March 2001), former president and parliament speaker Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani recorded in his diary a dramatic incident involving the hijacking of a Russian aircraft. Rafsanjani writes that, at around 7 a.m., news reached him in Tehran that an airliner en route from Russia had been commandeered while traversing Turkish airspace and redirected to Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Medina.
The memoir excerpt describes how the hijackers, who “presented themselves as Chechen,” broadcast a manifesto demanding the immediate cessation of Russia’s military campaign in Chechnya. Rafsanjani notes that the incident unfolded against the backdrop of his own morning pilgrimage to Qom—where he paid respects at the grave of his mother—and a scholarly festival honouring non‑Iranian researchers at the Centre for the Global Islamic Sciences. Reflecting on the juxtaposition of intellectual celebration and violent protest, he emphasises the stark reminder that “the pursuit of knowledge flourishes only in an atmosphere of freedom and tolerance.”
Though Rafsanjani makes no mention of how Iranian authorities engaged with the hijacking, his account underscores the geopolitical reach of Chechen resistance at the time. By weaving this anecdote into his wider reflections on knowledge and dialogue, Rafsanjani positions the event as both a cautionary tale on militancy and a testament to the power of cross‑cultural engagement.
