Reza Pahlavi, the son of the Shah who fled Iran in 1979, is scheduled to travel to Germany in early November to accept the “Freedom Prize” from the Friedrich-Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF) on behalf of the Iranian people.
According to FNF CEO Steffen Saebisch, the prize is presented to recognize outstanding engagement within a liberal civil society that strengthens freedom-oriented goals globally. Saebisch clarified that the award is not meant for an individual but rather honors the entire Iranian citizenry for their courageous resistance against the current “criminal Mullah regime.” The Foundation aims to recognize the “will of hundreds of thousands” who risk their lives in the effort to overthrow the regime.
Saebisch added that Pahlavi is accepting this prize as a custodian for the Iranian people, until the award can be formally presented to Iran’s freely elected representatives. The FNF requested Pahlavi’s acceptance because he does not advocate for a specific governmental form in Iran, consistently stressing that the Iranian people must decide the future structure of their state themselves. Furthermore, Pahlavi actively works towards an end to the conflicts in the Middle East that originated in Iran.
Pahlavi, who lives in exile in the United States, is widely recognized as a prominent figure in the Iranian opposition. The Freedom Prize will be awarded on November 7th in the Frankfurt Paulskirche, where the keynote address honoring the Iranian people will be given by Bijan Djir-Sarai, a former FDP Secretary General who is also of Iranian descent.
