Son of Iran's shah receives 'Freedom Prize' in Frankfurt
Reza Pahlavi, son of the last Iranian shah, received the 'Freedom Prize' in Frankfurt on Saturday.
The ceremony took place at St Paul's Church, the site of Germany's first elected parliament, the Frankfurt Assembly, in 1848-1849.
Some 18,000 people rallied to show support for Reza Pahlavi, according to a police statement.
The prize was handed to him by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, which is tied to the pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP).
Iran is a country not waiting to be taught democracy, this is a country being prevented from practicing it.
Pahlavi's role and vision
Pahlavi is the son of Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, the last shah of Iran who fled into exile after being deposed in the 1979 revolution.
The 1979 revolution led to the transformation of Iran into an Islamic republic and the consolidation of power around Shiite Muslim clergy.
He stressed that he was receiving the prize only as a 'trustee' until a democratically elected government comes to power in Iran.
Criticism and boycotts
While Pahlavi has emerged as a figurehead for factions within the anti-government protest movement, others have criticized him.
Rights groups say thousands were killed in a government crackdown on protests in January.
Around 200 prisoners held in Iran signed a letter protesting Pahlavi's receipt of the prize, describing him as the symbol of a 'bygone dictatorship'.
The Frankfurt branches of the center-left Social Democrats (SPD) and the environmentalist Greens boycotted the event, arguing he could not be considered a legitimate representative of the Iranian people.
The socialist Left Party argued that the church could not be used as a venue for the event due to Frankfurt city statutes that prevent the use of places of worship for political gatherings.
Related
