BERLIN — Reza Pahlavi denounced displays of Savak imagery by some of his supporters in a video message on 23 April 2026, following rallies in Berlin and Munich. He described the issue as “relatively urgent” and urged his followers to avoid symbols linked to Iran’s former monarchy.
“I don’t know where it is coming from,” Pahlavi said. “I don’t want to get into a historical analysis of whether that organisation acted correctly or incorrectly, what it was not. I will only say that it is a controversial issue. This is precisely the type of behaviour that gives an excuse to those that want to launch attacks on our movement.”
The Savak was the security agency that sustained Mohammad Reza Pahlavi’s rule by torturing and surveilling opponents. Some of Reza Pahlavi’s supporters have flown banners and worn T-shirts emblazoned with the emblem of the Savak.
Pahlavi blamed “a well-orchestrated campaign” by the Islamic regime for acts attributed to his supporters, whom he called “a very diverse group.” He added, “I always condemn any behavior that is based on violence or insult or aggression of any kind to anyone that is active. But I let my own supporters define themselves and describe themselves. Are there extremists every now and then in the mix? Of course they are. This is something that is unavoidable.”
In 2012, US-based Iranian journalist and caricaturist Nik Kowsar interviewed Pahlavi about the Savak. Kowsar later abandoned his support for Pahlavi amid disagreements over hardline advisers. “I interviewed him in 2012 about Savak and he was clearly against torture or against anything that undermined human rights,” Kowsar said. “The sad thing is Savak was seen an organization that was known to torture political activists or anybody criticizing [his father], as well as censoring the media. It wouldn’t represent democracy or liberalism, but that’s what a number of his avid fans are presenting right now.”
Reza Pahlavi, the son of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, has portrayed himself as “uniquely positioned” to lead a transition to democracy to replace Iran’s Islamic theocracy. As of 2026, he has not been in Iran for 48 years.