US Court Advances Torture Lawsuit Against Former Iran Intelligence Official

OPA WIRE, Nov 4 (OPA) — A federal judge in Florida has cleared the path for a human rights lawsuit filed by three Iranian-Americans against Parviz Sabeti, a senior official in Iran's pre-1979 Shah-era SAVAK intelligence agency. The plaintiffs accuse Sabeti of orchestrating torture and abuse against political prisoners during the 1970s. Sabeti's legal team had argued that the lawsuit missed the statutory filing period. However, the court dismissed the defense motion, ruling that the statute of limitations was properly paused due to exceptional circumstances.

The court emphasized that the plaintiffs—now in their 70s and 80s—faced severe and credible threats of retaliation from both Iranian state actors and royalist groups. The ruling noted that Sabeti's whereabouts remained largely concealed until 2023, depriving the plaintiffs of reasonable opportunities to locate him earlier. The three anonymous plaintiffs, designated as John Doe I, II, and III, filed the action under the Torture Victim Protection Act, seeking millions of dollars in damages for systemic abuse suffered under Sabeti's internal security directorate.

Legal representation for the plaintiffs is provided by the Center for Justice and Accountability. The court's extensive ruling also examined historical documentation regarding SAVAK and the subsequent transition of its infrastructure into post-revolutionary intelligence apparatuses. Sabeti's defense attorney, Arash Aramesh, declined to comment when contacted by journalists regarding the federal court's latest procedural decision.

The litigation will now advance to substantive phases examining liability and specific allegations of abuse. While the court has not yet ruled on Sabeti's direct responsibility for the plaintiffs' torture, the ongoing proceedings mark a rare legal effort to address historical human rights violations attributed to the Pahlavi-era security apparatus inside a United States judicial forum.