Germany news: Son of Iran's last shah takes center stage in Frankfurt

Iranian political figure Reza Pahlavi, son of the deposed Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, received the Freedom Prize in Frankfurt, Germany, on Saturday. An estimated 18,000 individuals gathered to express their support for Pahlavi, who is considered an opponent of the current Iranian government. The event took place at St Paul's Church, which previously served as the site for Germany's inaugural elected parliament in 1848-1849, the Frankfurt Assembly.

Pahlavi, who fled Iran following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, was awarded the prize by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, an organization linked to the pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP). Speaking at the gathering, Pahlavi stated that Iran is "not waiting to be taught democracy, this is a country being prevented from practicing it." He noted that a people prepared to sacrifice their lives for the right to vote are eager to exercise that right.

Rights groups have alleged that thousands were killed during a government crackdown on protests in January. Pahlavi emphasized that he is only a "trustee" of the prize, pending the establishment of a democratically-elected government in Iran. He expressed his intention to transfer the prize to its rightful owners in Tehran once democracy returns to the country.

During his speech, the crowd chanted "Long live the Shah, long live Iran!" Pahlavi had previously suggested he might lead a transitional government if democracy were to return to Iran, but he clarified that he does not intend to use this role to reinstate the monarchy in Iran's favor; instead, the decision would be left to a future referendum. Some of Pahlavi's critics have denounced him for his backing of Israel and for not distancing himself enough from his father's autocratic rule.

Around 200 Iranians currently imprisoned in Iran signed a letter protesting Pahlavi's receipt of the prize, calling him a symbol of a "bygone dictatorship." Several political parties in Frankfurt, including the center-left Social Democrats, the environmentalist Greens, and the socialist Left Party, boycotted the event, arguing that Pahlavi cannot be considered a legitimate representative of the Iranian people. The church was boycotted, as Frankfurt city statutes prohibit political gatherings in places of worship.