German foundation awards Freedom Prize to Iranian people — Jerusalem Post
The Friedrich Naumann Foundation will present the 2026 Freedom Prize to the Iranian people on November 7 at a ceremony at St. Paul’s Church in Frankfurt, Germany. Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s last shah, will accept the award on behalf of Iranians. As reported by The Jerusalem Post, he will keep the distinction until it can be handed over to representatives of Iran’s freely elected government.
The Freedom Prize was established in 2006 and had previously always been awarded to an individual. Ludwig Theodor Heuss, a member of the foundation’s board of trustees, stressed that this time the distinction belongs not to Pahlavi personally, but to the Iranian people. According to him, the foundation does not view the decision as support for Pahlavi becoming Iran’s future leader or as approval of the restoration of the monarchy.
Reasons for the foundation’s decision
The foundation explained its decision by citing the scale of repression following protests that began in late December 2025 over worsening economic conditions and developed into a nationwide movement against clerical rule. Heuss said that security forces killed thousands of people during the January crackdown on protests, while authorities restricted internet access.
He referred to estimates of more than 5,000 deaths, while noting that the exact number is difficult to establish. Opposition groups and human rights organizations, according to the publication, say that up to 50,000 people were killed on January 8–9. Heuss also said that more than 70 executions were carried out in Iran in October.
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Pahlavi’s meetings in Europe
Before the ceremony, Pahlavi held a series of meetings in Brussels and Germany, seeking to persuade European politicians to reconsider their approach to Tehran. In Brussels, he met with David McAllister, chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, and called for additional sanctions, measures against networks linked to the Iranian authorities, and cooperation with technology companies to bypass internet restrictions in Iran.
Pahlavi said that some European politicians are beginning to change their attitude toward the Iranian authorities. Heuss, for his part, called on Germany and Europe not to strengthen the Iranian regime, to impose sanctions for human rights violations, and to support civil society. At the same time, he noted that diplomacy is justified when it helps save lives.
According to The Jerusalem Post, 20-year-old Amirhossein Maleki and 19-year-old Amirhossein Ebrahimi were executed in Iran this week. They were convicted in a case concerning events in a square in Isfahan during the protests; authorities said that four security personnel were killed there.
