Open Letter to the Board of Directors of the Friedrich Naumann

Foundation for Freedom

Regarding the awarding of the “Freedom Prize 2026” and the
designation of Reza Pahlavi to receive it in trust

Behrouz Varzandeh

Berlin, September 30,
2026

Dear Members of the Board,
The decision of your Foundation to dedicate the “Freedom Prize 2026” to the
Iranian people and their struggle for freedom, democracy, and civil rights is
deserving of recognition.
However, precisely because of the significance and high symbolic impact of this
prize, the form of presentation chosen by the Foundation raises fundamental
questions.
The Foundation emphasizes that the prize is being awarded not to an individual,
but to the Iranian people. At the same time, it has independently decided to
designate Reza Pahlavi to receive the prize in trust on behalf of the Iranian
people. In my view, this raises a fundamental question regarding the basis and
legitimacy of such a form of representation.
To justify its decision, the Foundation describes Reza Pahlavi as “the best-
known personality of the Iranian opposition” and has therefore asked him to
receive the award in trust on behalf of the Iranian people.
My question is therefore: Was this decision based on a comprehensive and
nuanced assessment of Reza Pahlavi’s political personality, his positions, and
the political spectrum surrounding him?
I would like to explicitly emphasize that such a selection cannot be understood
as a decision made with the consensus of the Iranian people. Iranian society is
politically and socially diverse; very different views exist regarding the country’s
past, present, and political future.
As the son of Iran’s last Shah and a central figure in today’s monarchical
movement, Reza Pahlavi is a symbol of hope for one segment of Iranians, yet a
symbol of the potential return to an authoritarian system of rule for another. His
political position cannot, therefore, be judged solely on the basis of statements
in which he professes a commitment to freedom and democracy. A
comprehensive assessment must also take into account his public utterances,
his political actions, his treatment of political opponents, his understanding of
power, and the behavior and political culture of his political entourage.
For this reason, I do not wish to limit myself to protesting the Foundation’s
decision. Instead, I would like to provide you with some of my own contributions
that examine Reza Pahlavi and today’s monarchical movement from a critical
perspective.
My intention in doing so is not to impose a particular viewpoint on the
Foundation.
On the contrary, I hope these texts can help ensure that, alongside the image of
this political current presented thus far, other critical perspectives are also taken
into account before the award ceremony takes place.

In my view, a prize explicitly awarded to the Iranian people should also reflect
the political and social diversity of that people. Iranian society includes
republicans, constitutionalists, leftists, liberals, nationalists, and numerous other
political currents, which hold vastly different visions for the country’s future.
I therefore respectfully ask the Foundation’s leadership to reconsider the
chosen form of the award ceremony — and in particular the role assigned to
Reza Pahlavi as the person receiving the prize in trust on behalf of the Iranian
people — and to include the enclosed texts in your evaluation.
Respect for the Iranian people means, in my view, not only supporting their
struggle for freedom. It also means respecting the right of Iranian women and
men to freely determine their own political future and representatives.
Ultimately, perhaps a tribute to the Iranian people and their struggle for freedom
achieves its greatest significance precisely when this diverse and politically
pluralistic people is not reduced to a single individual.
Sincerely,
Behrouz Varzandeh
Author and Political Journalist
E-Mail: behrouz101@yahoo.de