Reza Pahlavi Accepts Freedom Prize on Behalf of Iranian People in Frankfurt
FRANKFURT — Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran's last shah, accepted the Friedrich Naumann Foundation's 2026 Freedom Prize on behalf of the Iranian people at a ceremony in St. Paul's Church in Frankfurt on November 7, the German news agency dpa reported. The prize has been awarded every two years since 2006 in recognition of outstanding commitment to a liberal civil society; this year the foundation awarded it to the Iranian people, with Pahlavi receiving it in trust. Speaking at the ceremony, he said he would one day place the award in the hands of the Iranian people.
Large demonstrations accompanied the ceremony. Police said about 5,000 people took to the streets of Frankfurt, the majority of them Pahlavi's supporters, with a rally planned later on Saturday; a march registered by organisers was expected to draw about 24,000 people. The U.S. Consulate General in Frankfurt had issued a demonstration alert the day before, instructing its employees to avoid the St. Paul's Church and march-route areas.
Pahlavi's wife Yasmine said Frankfurt police had told the couple they could not attend or address the rally because the Islamic Republic might retaliate by targeting people in the crowd. Frankfurt police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
(Source: dpa)
Source: dpa
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：雷扎·巴列维资料图。图片来源：Wikimedia Commons（CC BY-SA 2.0）。 / Photo: Reza Pahlavi. Image: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0).
