The story: A top official of the former Iranian monarchy’s security services is being sued in the United States. Alleging brutal torture under his watch, Parviz Sabeti—a longtime US resident—is facing a 225M USD lawsuit. The case has reignited debate over late Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi’s 1941-79 reign. It also puts monarchists in an awkward position as Sabeti and SAVAK, the spy organization he worked for, remain accused of severe human rights abuses.

The coverage: The lawsuit alleges that Sabeti institutionalized torture in Iran, charging that practices developed under his...