Iranian opposition figure Reza Pahlavi received a “Freedom Prize” on Saturday in Frankfurt, located in the central German state of Hesse. A police statement reported that approximately 18,000 individuals gathered to demonstrate their support for Pahlavi.
Event Location and Background
The ceremony took place at St Paul’s Church, a historical site that housed Germany’s inaugural elected parliament, the Frankfurt Assembly, during 1848 and 1849. Pahlavi is the son of Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, the final shah of Iran and an autocratic ruler who escaped into exile following his overthrow in the 1979 revolution. That revolution subsequently transformed Iran into an Islamic republic governed by the Shiite Muslim clergy. The Friedrich Naumann Foundation, an organization connected to the pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP), presented the award to Pahlavi.
Pahlavi’s Acceptance Speech
During the event, Pahlavi stated that Iran is not a nation requiring lessons in democracy, but rather one being hindered from practicing it. He added that a population prepared to die for voting rights is ready to exercise them, noting that rights organizations report thousands of deaths resulting from a government crackdown on protests in January. Addressing the audience, he told them they could not have selected a population that better comprehends the significance of freedom.
Pahlavi emphasized that he accepted the award strictly as a trustee until a democratically elected administration establishes power in Iran. He explained that he holds it temporarily and intends to place it with its rightful owners in Tehran rather than on foreign soil. Supporters in the crowd responded to the speech with chants of “Long live the shah, long live Iran!” Previously, Pahlavi has proposed leading a transitional government during a democratic shift in West Asia, clarifying that he does not seek to restore his father’s monarchy and prefers to leave that decision to a future referendum.
Criticism and Boycotts
Although Pahlavi functions as a figurehead for certain factions within the anti-government protest movement, critics have rebuked him for his vocal backing of Israel and allege he has not sufficiently distanced himself from his father’s authoritarian governance. According to Sahar Sanaie, spokeswoman for the Society for German-Iranians in Hesse, who spoke to the AFP news agency, about 200 prisoners detained in Iran authored a letter condemning Pahlavi’s receipt of the award and labeling him a symbol of a past dictatorship.
In response to the ceremony, local branches of the center-left Social Democrats (SPD) and the environmentalist Greens boycotted the gathering, arguing that Pahlavi cannot be viewed as a legitimate representative of the Iranian population. Additionally, the socialist Left Party contended that St Paul’s Church should not host the event, citing Frankfurt city regulations that prohibit political assemblies inside places of worship.
