Since 2006, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom has awarded the Freedom Prize every two years in Frankfurt’s Paulskirche. This year, the foundation has decided to dedicate the prize to the Iranian people. On November 7, 2026, Reza Pahlavi is set to accept the award in trust. Volt im Römer welcomes the tribute to the Iranian people, who courageously fight for freedom, human rights, democracy, and self-determination. However, the parliamentary group rejects the decision to have Reza Pahlavi accept the award on behalf of the Iranian people. In doing so, it joins the justified protest from parts of Iranian civil society. Pahlavi’s political role is controversial within the Iranian opposition. As the son of the last Shah, for many people he also represents the memory of an authoritarian rule under which opposition members were persecuted and tortured. Furthermore, he is accused of not having consistently distanced himself from precisely this authoritarian rule of the Pahlavi dynasty and the human rights violations by his father. This history and the perspectives of those affected must not be ignored in an award for freedom and human rights.
The opposition in Iran is diverse. Even though the foundation explicitly honors the Iranian people, handing the award to Pahlavi highlights a single opposition current and thus carries the risk of conveying the impression of an overarching claim to leadership. A prize for the struggle for freedom of a diverse society should take this diversity into account.
“The courage of the people in Iran, who risk their lives every single day for freedom and self-determination against the unjust regime of the Islamic Republic, deserves our deepest respect and our unconditional solidarity. Precisely for this reason, we consider the decision to hand this award to Reza Pahlavi in trust to be wrong, because even a handover in trust is a political signal. The Friedrich Naumann Foundation thereby elevates a controversial opposition figure and assigns him a representative role for an entire people. The fact that this is happening of all places in Frankfurt’s Paulskirche gives this decision particular weight. The Paulskirche stands for democratic participation and the self-determination of the people over their political future,” said Tiara Mengel, chair of the Volt parliamentary group in the Römer.
Volt im Römer explicitly welcomes the honoring of the Iranian people in the Paulskirche and supports renting out the venue for this occasion. The group’s criticism is targeted specifically at the handover to Reza Pahlavi, for whose selection the Friedrich Naumann Foundation bears responsibility. Volt calls on the foundation to take the objections from Iranian civil society seriously and to refrain from the handover in trust to Pahlavi.
Translated with the help of A.I., not authorized by the people mentioned within the press release!
