Joint Statement in Support of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation’s Freedom Prize for the Iranian People and Its Acceptance in Trust by Prince Reza Pahlavi

In a joint statement, the Patriotic Kurdish Iranians Party, the Shahvand Think Tank, the Frankfurt Hamgaraie Association and the Zagros Lion and Sun Association backed the Friedrich Naumann Foundation’s decision to award the 2026 Freedom Prize to the Iranian people and its acceptance in trust by Prince Reza Pahlavi.

Full text of the statement:

“We, the signatories to this statement, express our unequivocal support for the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom’s decision to award its 2026 Freedom Prize to the Iranian people. The award ceremony will take place on November 7, 2026, corresponding to Aban 16, 1405, at Frankfurt’s St. Paul’s Church (Paulskirche), a historic symbol of European democracy.

This prize honors the courage and sacrifices of a people who have stood for freedom, human dignity, and democracy in the face of the Islamic Republic’s brutal repression. Prince Reza Pahlavi will accept it in trust, to be passed on ultimately to its rightful recipients inside Iran.

Prince Reza Pahlavi has opposed the Islamic Republic for nearly five decades and has repeatedly emphasized that Iran’s future form of government must be determined by the people through a free vote. The principles he advocates—including Iran’s territorial integrity, equality before the law, and the separation of religion and state—align with Iranians’ aspirations for freedom.

This ceremony offers an opportunity to convey the Iranian people’s message to the world: an end to the Islamic Republic and the establishment of a free, secular, and democratic Iran. We call on the international community to support this aspiration and recognize Prince Reza Pahlavi’s role in articulating it and mobilizing international support.

Affirming national solidarity and the people’s right to freely choose their political future, we regard this event as a step toward restoring Iran to its rightful place among the free nations of the world.”

Signatories:

• Patriotic Kurdish Iranians Party
• Frankfurt Hamgaraie Association
• Shahvand Think Tank
• Zagros Lion and Sun Association

October 23, 2026

Original statement