SAWAK was established based on the special conditions and circumstances of the country. In earlier years of the coup Mordad, 28, the military command of Tehran city was in charge of security; but the impossibility of the existence of a military command in one or several cities forced the correspondents to seek a remedy. The conclusion of these counsellorship led to the establishment of SAWAK. The staff and troops of the military command who had experiences in repressing people and the combatants created the elementary core of the organization. After the coup Mordad, 28, some of the heads of Toudeh party escaped abroad. A few members were executed and many members regretted and even several SAWAK. Nevertheless, because the clergymen played an unavoidable role in leading the campaign against the British Colonialism and leading the movement for nationalizing oil and the great clergyman called Seyyed Abul Qasem Kashani was the indisputable leader of the movement and the days after the coup some clergymen such as Seyyed Reza Zanjani and Ayatullah Taelqani and other religious people such as engineer Bazargan and Dr. Yadullah Sahabi were the members of the national movement of resistance, the Colonial correspondents and the SWAK planners tried to transfere the non-Muslim officers of this organization and exploit them to achieve their goals. Because there weren’t any Jewish officers in the Iranian army, the people in charge tried to employ Baha’i officers – who were similar to the Zionist Jew intellectually and revenged Muslims like the Jewish Zionists- in the organization to confront the Muslim combatants. For this reason, several senior managers of SAWAK were Baha’is.
Earlier 1350s, Parwiz Sabeti’s name was announced in the country media under the name of security official and considered him as the powerful man of SAWAK. Parwiz Sabeti, the so-called powerful man od SAWAK has escaped to Rome, Geneve and London under the nickname of Ali Khani by an airline on Aban, 1, 1357.[1]
Parwiz Sabeti
Maybe, no valid writing has been published about him, yet. Sabeti tells about himself: “I was born in solar month of Mehr, 1328 in Sangsar one of the regions of Semnan city in a quarter called Tappeh Sar in a Baha’I family. I spent my elementary school periods from 1332 to 1328 and my high school periods from 1328 in Tehran city. I continued my education in law collage, Tehran university in 1334 and graduated in 1337 in judicial course of study for B.A. degree. I came to Tehran city on Mehr, 1328 to spend high school years. I have resided in my sister’s husband’s house, Mr. Muhammad Hussein Rahmaniyan for three years. On Mehr, 1331, my family came to Tehran city and resided at that house till the solar month of Isfand 1334 when we provided a house and moved there. Since 1336 S.H. I have taught in Tehran city.
In Bahman, 1337, Sabeti was employed at SAWAK organization introduced by Zarrabi the director general of the 9th office of SAWAK. He was well versed in English language and was educated at political and economic affairs.
He advanced in SAWAK organization very soon. First, he became the chairman of the first office of the third general office in 1345 supported by Fardoust, the successor of SAWAK and Naser Moqaddam, the director general of the third office. In 1345, due to a TV. Program, he suddenly became a well-known person and his power dimensions.
It is written in the contemporary history books: “It can easily be claimed that by 1349 when he became the assistant of the third general office of SAWAK, his power shadow spanned the Iranians’ life arenas. The opponents of the regime considered him as their main enemy. However, obtaining all important jobs, from being minister to master of university, teacher and even employee was due to the allowance of the office over which he took its chairmanship… He was famous for being “the spokesman of SAWAK” and “the security official” earlier 1350s. He was one of the main managers of SAWAK organization and was in touch with “Mousad” and its agents in Iran and he even interfered with the affairs related to SAWAK’s agencies out of the country which were out of his authorities. His information especially regarding the activities of the fighting groups out of the country help SAWAK with fighting against the confederation and other groups opposing the regime… He had passed the anti-partisan operation and war educations and sent a group which had educated in Israel and the military dictatorships of the Latin America to fight against Siahgal and to surround the jungle with extensive equipment and facilities… According to his occupational features, Sabeti the chairman of the interior security of SAWAK possessed several passports with different names. At the end of Azhari government and ten days before the Islamic revolution, he escaped to Geneva and; then, he went to Israel with his wife. He was famous for “the SAWAK’s dreadful torturer”. He lived in a splendid house in San Francisco. He sold his house to the ambassador of one of the Arabic countries a month before escaping from the country.[2]
People knew Parwiz Sabeti s a security official because, he brought all political separated people to interview on TV. With this title. The people who were brought on TV. And expressed regret were Reza Barahini, Parwiz Nik Khah, Korosh Lashaee, Gholam Hussein Saedi and Ja’far Koush Abadi.
Before the Islamic Revolution, during 1970s, Parwiz Sabeti discovered and destroyed the secret armed groups.[3] Due to this evil experience, he went to Egypt after the revolution and hit the active Egyptian Islamic groups (who had advanced to such an extent that they executed the treacherous president of Egypt, Anwar Sadat).
Now, when the people’s campaigns against the American occupiers in Iraq have soared, the Americans have secretly brought him to Iraq to destroy the Islamic movements. They are secretly exploiting Parwiz Sabeti in order to organize “the Iraqi intelligent service” again. He is surely going to keep the Baha’i interests and to hit the Islamic system of government and Shiism as his top programs presenting in Iraq.[4]
Masoud Behnoud writes about him: “Sabeti was one of the nationalists who was in favor of nationalizing oil industry. He played a great role to advance the regime’s aims especially in SAWAK. He progressed in SAWAK for years. The anti-sabotage committee was appeared by Sabeti’s suggestion, chairmanship and total authorities. Later on he became SAWAK’s chairman. Sabeti repressed the partisans in the north of Iran because the partisan wars had been trained to him. Parwiz Sabeti’s power after establishing Reza Shah’s police force had caused everybody to fear him; even Shah’s prime minister. In every occasion, Shah was referring to Sabeti and assign him the important affairs. He was in touch with the foreign services especially the American and Israeli ones and he caused these relationships and bonds with them to be strengthened.[5]”
1) The Keyhan newspaper writes: “He is Baha’I and escaped from Iran after the Iranian revolution in 1357 and sought asylum to Israel with his wife and became Mousad’s agent. Sabeti was one of those who was dispatched to Israel headed a group of SAWAK agents; more likely, he was employed by Mousad at that commission.”
2) The field Marshal Hussein Fardoust says: “Sabeti was employed in SAWAK since youth and advanced there. When he was less than 30 years old, he was the chairman of a ward related to the hidden parties. He was really hardworking and rank-lover. He was consistently trying to pretend higher than what he really was. He was telling lies to perk his position and success twice as much. After a while, he became the head of the first office of the third general office. In 1350, he became the manager of the third general office. However, he was all-round person in SAWAK organization, indeed. Bakhtiyar’s murder was planned by him. Then, agreed by Nasiri and Muhammad Reza, a series of interviews entitled “the security position” was done by him. He was speaking well and firmly on This TV displays and influenced everybody. The title “the security position” had been given to him till the victory of Islamic republic.[6]”
3) The news site “Peyk Net” wrote about him: “Parwiz Sabeti’s intelligent service shadow –Shah’s security position who Saeed Imami imitated him- on the proselytizing media of abroad: Peyk has been informed that Parwiz Sabeti has established a staff to concentrate his proselytizing affairs; in addition to his recent security intelligent activities. The staff is working in accordance with the Whitehouse policies towards Iran. The most important activity of the staff is to press on all Persian audio or video media to avoid confirming initiator of tourture and extracting a confession in the prison and making TV. Shows in Shah’s periods of time. He himself was the administration of TV. Interviews.
4) Abdullah Shahbazi –the historian- writes: “Beyond it, the assassination of the brigadier –General Zandi Pour became an excuse for Parwiz Sabeti to take measure wilfully without legal allowance and the judicial verdict and to massacre the most outstanding political prisoners who were passing their conviction periods of time. On Thursday, Farwardin, 28, 1354 / April, 17, 1975, a group headed by Reza Attar Pour (Dr. Hussein Zadeh) accompanied by Parwiz Faranjad (Dr. Jawan), Muhammad Hassan Naseri (Dr. Azeddi), Naser Nozari (Rasouli), Hussein Sha’bani (Husseini), Bahman Naderi Pour (Tehrani), Major Sa’di Jalil Isfahani (Babak) and Colonel Waziri, the chairman of Ewin prison took nine political prisoners to the hills located inside the prison enclosure and massacred ordered by Parwiz Sabeti.[7]”
5) Parwiz Sabeti’s paternal uncle, Rouhullah Sabeti was the colleague of SAWAK and the high-ranking employee of Pepsi Cola Company in Ahwaz city.[8] It is said in SAWAK documents about Rouhullah Sabeti dated 1356/10/11:
Subject: Rouhullah Sabeti’s measures
A person called Rouhullah Sabeti who is from Iran and is Baha’i manages a commercial company in Abu Dhabi. His wife is very intimate with Sheikh Zayed’s wife and he himself is in touch with most Sheikhs. Recently, four nine to ten-year-old girls have been taken by him from Iran to the United Arab Emirate for Sheikh Hamdan, the assistant of Emirate prime minister who is famous for sensuality. Rouhullah Sabeti was asked to explain about the issue. He has expressed that the issue is true and these girls are orphans and Sheikh Hamdan had previously asked him to take these girls from Iran to Emirate to support them. Rouhullah Sabeti has also taken them in his recent journey to Emirate. Now, the girls are in Sheikh Hamdan’s presence… .[9]”
Fereydoun Tawangari known as Arash
Fereydoun Tawangari known as Arash was born in Tehran city in 1329 S.H. He was Baha’i and his marriage document has been recorder in Teharn Baha’is marriage record office No. 126.6869 dated 1357 (2537)/5/14.
Fereydoun Tawangari (Arash)
Arash was employed in SAWAK in 1351 working as a usual person. Earlier 1352, he became in charge of operation section. He was inquiring and excruciating male and female combatants. He became the leader of operation section in 1354/2/22.
When he was the leader of operation section, he was inquiring and excruciating. He was named “the roughest cross-examiner” in the common committee because he was really ruthless.
He was bestowed various medals because he was serious in his devotion. He was diligently busing serving his lords in the common committee to the last days of the devil regime of Shah. Eventually, he was tried in the Islamic republic court and confessed his shameful and criminal actions. He was executed on Sunday, Tir, 3, 1358.
Acclamation and medals:
He has been rewarded due to being serious in his assigned tasks. (Such as the third grade medal of “Pas”)
Colonel Ali Zibaee
One of the other Baha’i torturers of SAWAK called Ali Zibaee. It was rumored that several people had been killed under his blows with the fists and kickings. People hated Colonel Zibaee to such an extent that they attacked his house in 1357, on the eve of the victory of Islamic revolution and made his house fire. Hamid Davoud Abadi narrates the story: As people were saying, an old man and old woman who were Christian and living in front of the house accidently saw that a car entered into the house yard and some men took a girl blindfolded into a basement forcefully. The old man went to Takht Kamshid Street frantically and addressed the youth demonstrating:
- Help the girl if you are brave. These dishonorable men have kidnapped her.
Nobody knew what would happen. They thought there were three gangs who had kidnapped a girl.
As soon as some people claimed the wall, the people from SAWAK escaped from the basement to the building located behind the house. At that time, people realized that it was one of the safe house of SAWAk organization whose basement was used to torture the combatants. Later on, I read about Colonel Zibaee’s place of torture: “The demonstrating population suspected of a Mercedes Benz car at Somayyeh and Malekushshoa’ra cross, in front of craftsmen office at 10, a.m., on Wednesday 1357/10/05. When they observed a wireless set in the car, they decided to inspect the car. The car occupant took a machine gun out of a seat, shot towards people, killed a valid woman and two youth and escaped. He got on the army ambulance while it was departing in Takht Jamshid street and escaped. While he was escaping a notebook and a deed fell out of his pocket. People picked it up immediately and read the address:
Colonel Ali Zibaee-Address-Bahar street- Takht Jamshid street- Mahtab alley- No. 4
The population attacked his house immediately to arrest him; but unfortunately there was nobody at home. They set the house and its luxury furniture on fire. People tore the carpets to pieces and smashed the lampshades, china wares and the priceless containers. Additionally, three rifles, a wireless set and many instruments pertaining to communication, several forged books and leaflets were confiscated by people.
The criminal’s Mercedes Benz car was set on fire in Somayyeh street and his other car was burnt in Bahar street, too.
The retired Colonel Ali Zibaee is one of the famous torturers of SAWAk who has been the agent of torturing and inspecting along with “Siyahatgar” since Toudeh party establishment.
The people participating at setting his house on fire were saying: “The furniture of his house had been provided by the Iranian youth blood and is illegitimate. For this reason, nobody took something.”
Colonel “Ali Zibaee’s” place torture was located in Bahar Street in Takht Jamshid street (Talegani). Two building were neighboring each other. Both were related to each other through a dark and narrow tunnel. When the people attacked, the people of SAWAk escaped; but the torture trances remained. I loved to see there very much. I went there with my father the other day. The first house located at Bahar Street was apparently Colonel Zibaee’s workplace. However, when we entered into the second house located at the back part, we were afraid too much. Many torture instruments could be seen. The extracted nails were scattered. The plucked hairs and the blood splashed on walls were of savage actions of SAWAK. I found a piece of a person’s leg in dust and blood whose flesh was fresh. When we entered into the basement, the passageway was too narrow and dark. Nevertheless, people were advancing lighting up papers or pasteboard. There were several small room in the left side of the corridor in which there were special instruments. There was a bathing-tub in one of the rooms. It was said that there was acid in it. They were forcing the prisoners to lie down into it to be died. In another room, there was a two-floor bed which was piped like a heater. They forced the prisoners lie on it when it was hot. As the case of “Mahdi Rezaee”, one of Mojahedin members who had said: “They forced me to lie on the fireplace to be burnt.”
There was a hole on the wall of one of the rooms. I became curious about it. I went forward. I figured out that it was being used for the prisoners’ fingers to be amputated by a small guillotine. In dark rooms, the oppressed shouts could be heard. I cried. I got crazy. Is it possible for a man to be too wretch to do such savage actions to make a prisoner confess?
There was a special chair in one the rooms. It was said that it was called “Apolo”. It was the same as hairdressers ones to which a metallic cap had been attached. It was used for the prisoners’ tortures. I hated Shah’s regime more when I saw those instruments. Just God knows how many young people have been murdered under the most severe tortures of Shah’s regime. I said to myself: “Thank goodness. I haven’t done any wrong action to be taken here. I would confess in the first stage if I saw these instruments.” All of the doors and the walls of the torture place had been quite dark and black and had intensified its awfulness. Of course, we were quite afraid although entered into that place with open eyes and security Woe betide those boys and girls who had been taken there blindfolded…
It was a horrible place. I grasped my father’s hand in order not to be lost in the dark corridor. There wasn’t any light. Apparently, people had destroyed the building. The building wiring had been demolished, too. A cardboard had been lit and some people had carried some pieces of it as torches. We had sore eyes due to the smoke.
My body trembled when I thought the SAWAK personnel were here several days ago and tortured the prisoners. God knows how many of these houses Shah’s SAWAK had across the country.
The Keyhan newspaper wrote about Colonel Zibaee’s house: “SAWAK’s hidden torture place was discovered in Tehran city.”
A SAWAK Colonel’s house was set on fire during a street conflict in Tehran city. When people entered into the house, they could discover an underground tunnel in which various cells, torture instruments and some carious bones of humankind could be seen.
The house called “the horror house” by people was located at Bahar Street, Jahan Street. The house belonged to an office of SAWAK for a while in which many captured people have been inquired there. The witness said to the Keyhan correspondents: When we entered into the house, we thought first that the house resemble the place of torture more. We inspected the house along with several people who had attacked the house. We encountered a basement. It had been linked with another house through a tunnel which was 150 meter long. There were all kinds of torture instrument in the tunnel. Some of them were bloody. They had been recently used. In another corner of the tunnel, there were many bloody male and female clothes accumulated. There were some bones, too. There were several cells in the tunnel in which the accused could just stand. Tunnel was too dark that the flashlight couldn’t work. There were some photos of people who were being torturing on the tunnel wall. Those photos were used for the mental torturing. People’s rush into this place of torture caused police forces to transfer the instruments to an unknown place after shooting and dispersing people.
Colonel Zibaee, the house owner escaped.
Colonel Shirwanloo
One of the high-ranking directors of SAWAK was Colonel Shirwanloo. He followed spy activities and fighting people since he was the military governor. He was also SAWAK staff. Colonel Shirwanloo was in touch with Shah; so he could employ his son in SAWAK. His son became the vice-president of the center for intellectual raising of kids and adolescents and the chairman of the artistic department of Farah Pahlawi’s office.
General Ahsanee
One of SAWAK’s officers who was famous for being Baha’i. he was the intermediary between SAWAK and intelligence ministry and was in charge of the press censorship by 1357 S.H.
At that time, SAWAK was announcing its orders to the press orally. It didn’t give any written order in order for the written orders not to be exploited by the opposition groups.[10] At that time, general Ahsani was in charge of SAWAK press which was the subclass of the third general office of SAWAK. General Ahsani was in charge at the middle of the prim minister period of Amir Abbas Hoveyda to the last day of the Pahlawi regime. He had the telephonic relationships with several correspondents of the great press such as the Keyhan, Ettela’at and Ayandegan. Every morning he was announcing some instructions to them distinctly. Those correspondent were in charge of service clerks and could include SAWAK orders and prevent publishing those materials which weren’t pleasant for SAWAK. Those correspondents possessed supreme positions than other ones due to such special relationships and obeying orders.
To be employed in the job, the correspondents must be confirmed by the press general office. They must receive correspondent card. However, the correspondent No 11.[11] Formalities were more severe. After being ratified by the director general of press services and the press assistant of the minister of tourism, they must be dealt with SAWAK press office. After being ratified by the chairman of SAWAK press office –general Ahsani- their case was being sent to the second department and anti-intelligent of the army and kingdom guard. Then, the subject was being informed to special inspection office of field marshal Fardoust. After the inspection of his organization, the correspondent card NO.11 was being issued signed by the chairman of the second department of the army and people such as general Palizban.
[1] Subject: Mr. Sabeti’s travel to abroad at 13:40 on the above-mentioned day was said in editorial board of the Keyhan newspaper.
[2] Hussein Fardoust, the emergence and falling of the Pahlawi kingdom, Vol. 2, pp. 450-451; Bahram Afrasyabi, when the curtains are being drawn up, pp. 341-342; Abbas Milani, Hoveyda’s puzzle, pp. 208,390; MAsoud Behnoud, from Seyyed Ziya’a to BAkhtiyar, p. 55; Malmoud Tolouee, the actors of the Pahlawi era: From Forouqi to Fardoust, Vol. 2, pp. 992-997, 1001; Left in Iran narrated by SAWAK documents, people devoted partisans, Vol. 8, p. 309.
[3] About Parwiz Sabeti’s role in preventing Shah to become close to scholars and making differences between them, and imprisoning the scholars, refer to Azzal Mamalek Ardalan, p, 414.
[4] The supporter of evil, the Baha’ism function backgrounds and its rush against Iran and Islam in the contemporary world, 1384, Bina, p. 12.
[5] Behnoud, Masoud; From Seyyed Zia’a to Bakhtiyar, 7th edition, Tehran, Jawidan publication, 1377 S.H., pp. 521-825.
[6] The emergence and falling of the Pahlawi kingdom, Vol. 2, “An inquiry from the Iranian contemporary history”, pp. 450-451.
[7] Footnote is Khabar on Line, the story of Taqi Shahram, the red coup and shooting at down
[8] The record of the center of Islamic Revolution documents, code 336
[10] The severe inspection and control on the press by SAWAK were more and severe after Asadullah and when Amir Abbas Hoveyda became the prime minister. [research office of Keyhan institute]
[11] The court correspondents and the correspondent related to Shah and Farah