The alleged “chief torturer” for the deposed Shah of Iran is a step closer to trial for human rights abuses after a Florida federal judge rejected his demand to halt a lawsuit brought by three former political prisoners.
In May, attorneys for the three Iranian plaintiffs filed a response presenting dozens of documents and articles of their own to try to bolster their argument that there were extraordinary circumstances in the case that warranted an extension of time to bring the claim.
The lawsuit details the alleged use of a torture device nicknamed Apollo, an electric chair named after the early US space program, which featured a metal helmet that amplified victims’ screams into their own ears.
“Perpetrators of torture should not escape accountability simply because the survivors were forced to live with fear for decades.
The plaintiffs say they discovered his whereabouts only after a photo of Sabeti at a 2023 protest against the Iranian government was posted on social media by his daugh.