{"id":345180,"date":"2026-05-19T06:36:02","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T05:36:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=345180"},"modified":"2026-05-19T07:38:33","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T06:38:33","slug":"iran-news-in-brief-may-19-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-news-in-brief-news\/iran-news-in-brief-may-19-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran News in Brief \u2013 May 19, 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Thousands
Thousands of Iranians gathered in Washington, D.C., to protest the recent wave of executions in Iran and call for a free, democratic and secular republic<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS<\/h3>\n

UPDATE: 8:30 AM CEST<\/strong><\/p>\n

Why SAVAK Still Haunts Iran\u2019s Political Future<\/h3>\n

\"international<\/p>\n

The recent spectacle in Regensburg, Germany, where supporters of Reza Pahlavi marched with banners and T-shirts bearing the insignia of\u00a0SAVAK<\/a>, should unsettle anyone who values democracy, human rights, and historical memory. Displaying the emblem of the Shah\u2019s secret police is not mere nostalgia. It signals, more troublingly, a willingness to rehabilitate one of the most feared instruments of repression in modern Iranian\u2014and indeed global\u2014history.<\/p>\n

For millions of Iranians, SAVAK was synonymous with terror. Established in 1957 under Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the organization became the backbone of the monarchy\u2019s authoritarian rule. Armed with sweeping powers and bolstered by foreign intelligence assistance, SAVAK infiltrated universities, labor unions, newspapers, political parties, and even private gatherings. By the 1970s, it had evolved into a vast machinery of surveillance, intimidation, and torture that touched nearly every politically conscious Iranian family.<\/p>\n

Its victims came from across the political spectrum: liberals, leftists, nationalists, religious dissidents, intellectuals, students, and members of the People\u2019s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI\/MEK). Amnesty International and numerous historians documented the brutality of SAVAK interrogations, detailing electric shocks, cable whippings, nail extraction, savage beatings, mock executions, and sustained psychological torment. Prisoners described being burned on metal frames and subjected to devices engineered to maximize pain and humiliation. One of the regime\u2019s darkest episodes occurred in April 1975, when political prisoners were executed near Evin Prison after being taken from their cells in handcuffs and blindfolds.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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UPDATE: 7:30 AM CEST<\/strong><\/p>\n

PMOI Resistance Units Target Regime Centers in Response to Brutal Execution Spree<\/h3>\n

\"PMOI-led<\/p>\n

In a bold display of defiance against the Iranian regime\u2019s wave of executions and threats to kill dissidents, PMOI\/MEK Resistance Units carried out fiery operations across the country on May 14. These daring acts targeted the regime\u2019s centers and symbols of repression, effectively shattering the state\u2019s intimidation tactics.<\/p>\n

The Resistance Units executed 10 specific operations. In Tehran, they set fire to an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Basij base, while in Azadshahr, they targeted a base belonging to the repressive security forces tasked with cracking down on dissidents and protests. Across several cities\u2014including Chabahar, Ilam, Iranshahr, Lordegan, Saravan, and Tehran\u2014Resistance Units torched propaganda posters featuring the eliminated supreme leader Ali Khamenei. Additionally, in Mashhad, a propaganda poster featuring various regime officials and leaders was set ablaze.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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Iran\u2019s Police Chief Admits to 6,500 Arrests Amid Rising Executions<\/h3>\n

Iran\u2019s Police Commander Ahmad-Reza Radan said in an\u00a0interview\u00a0<\/a>with state television on May 18 that authorities had arrested more than 6,500 people accused of espionage, collaboration, or anti-government activity since the start of the recent conflict, adding that 567 cases involved individuals linked to opposition groups.<\/p>\n

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Iran's Police Chief admits to 6,500 arrests
In this Video Iran Police Chief, Ahmad-Reza Radan confirms:
\u2022 6,500 citizens detained in recent weeks.
\u2022 567 linked to the MEK and other opposition groups.
\u2022 Vows to hunt every January protester: \u201cWe won\u2019t let them go.\u201d https:\/\/t.co\/pkB41BvjoR<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/99DmAS1Jsw<\/a><\/p>\n

— Pasha Borjkhani (@BorjkhaniP1847) May 18, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n