SAVAK

SAVAK (Sāzemān-e Ettelā'āt va Amniyat-e Keshvar — Organization of Intelligence and National Security) was the secret police, domestic security, and intelligence service of Iran under Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi. Established in 1957 with CIA and Mossad assistance, it suppressed political opposition including the National Front, the Freedom Movement of Iran, leftist organizations, and Islamist groups. Known for systematic use of torture, it imprisoned thousands of political dissidents. Dissolved after the 1979 revolution.