Following the pro-Shah coup d’état that overthrew the Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh in 1953, the Shah again cracked down on his opponents, and political freedom waned. He outlawed Mosaddegh’s political group the National Front, and arrested most of its leaders.[13] Over 4000 political activists of the Tudeh party were arrested,[14] (including 477 in the armed forces), forty were executed, another 14 died under torture and over 200 were sentenced to life imprisonment.[13][15][16]
During the height of its power, the shah’s secret police SAVAK had virtually unlimited powers. The agency closely collaborated with the CIA.[17]
According to Amnesty International’s Annual Report for 1974–1975 “the total number of political prisoners has been reported at times throughout the year [1975] to be anything from 25,000 to 100,000.”[18]
Wow, that is super fucked up. I hope somebody overthrows the Shah.
Wow, that is super fucked up. I hope somebody overthrows the Shah.