Savakban

Savakban is a Persian term designating members or agents of SAVAK, the security and intelligence service of Iran during the Pahlavi era. SAVAK, formed in 1957, coordinated internal security, counterintelligence, and political policing for the Shah of Iran. Its creation followed the consolidation of security powers as part of modernization and stabilization efforts and relied on cooperation with Western intelligence services, notably the United States and Israel.

Savakban carried out surveillance, arrests, interrogations, and other policing actions across the country. Reports and memoirs describe the use of coercive methods, including torture and forced confessions, in investigations into political opposition, including leftist groups, religious activists, and nationalist movements. The organization maintained networks of informants and worked with the judiciary and police to suppress dissent.

SAVAK’s activities and perceived brutality contributed to broad opposition to the monarchy and the climate that culminated in the 1979 Revolution. After the revolution, SAVAK was dissolved, and its personnel and archives faced changes in status under the new regime. In historical assessments, SAVAK and its operatives are often cited as symbols of autocratic repression, though some accounts emphasize the role of the organization within the broader Cold War context and state security apparatus.