Reza Pahlavi Receives Freedom Prize for Iranians in…

Reza Pahlavi Receives Freedom Prize for Iranians in Frankfurt

07.11.2026 16:01 HotInfo

Reza Pahlavi, son of the last Iranian shah, received the Freedom Prize on Saturday in Frankfurt am Main, which the Friedrich Naumann Foundation awarded to the Iranian people. The ceremony took place in the historic Paulskirche church, attended by both his supporters and critics. Spiegel.de ↗

Pahlavi, who lives in exile in the United States, presents himself as a representative of the Iranian opposition. During the ceremony he spoke about his role as a mediator while also criticizing the government in Tehran. The award was presented to him on behalf of the Iranian people, not as a personal honor for a member of the former monarchy. Deutschlandfunk ↗

The event was accompanied by demonstrations in the center of Frankfurt. According to police and organizers, around a thousand people gathered at the rallies initially, while tens of thousands of participants were expected at the larger demonstration. One part of the demonstrators supported Pahlavi and waved flags, while other protesters questioned his political legitimacy. Die Zeit ↗

Reza Pahlavi is the son of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who was the last Iranian shah. He ruled in an authoritarian manner and fled into exile in 1979 after the revolution that overthrew the monarchy. This legacy of the monarchy is one of the reasons why part of the Iranian opposition in exile rejects Pahlavi's claim to speak on behalf of the broader opposition movement. teraz.sk ↗

The Frankfurt award thus, besides offering support to Iranian citizens, also opened a dispute over the future political leadership of the opposition and over Pahlavi's role in any potential changes in Iran. Le Figaro ↗