- Iranian people are the award’s beneficiaries; Pahlavi is its custodian.
- The foundation names freely elected Iranian representatives as the eventual recipients.
Reza Pahlavi accepted the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom’s 2026 Freedom Prize in Frankfurt on November 7 as custodian for the Iranian people. 12
The ceremony took place at St. Paul’s Church. The foundation says the prize is for Iranians, with Pahlavi holding it until freely elected representatives can receive it. 12
Iran International reports that Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s last shah, accepted custody rather than ownership. The foundation is affiliated with Germany’s liberal Free Democratic Party. 2
Bloomboff's take
A medal can honour a population without choosing its rulers. That distinction is the bloody point of the custody clause. Democracy does not come gift-wrapped.
