A collective appeal by academics and scholars urging the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom not to entrust the Iranian people’s 2026 Freedom Award to an unelected individual. The letter calls for the award to remain in the Foundation’s custody until it can be received by representatives freely chosen by the Iranian people.
September 24, 2026
Steffen Saebisch, Chair of the Executive Board
Florian Rentsch, Chair of the Board of Trustees
Mario Burow, Chief Executive Officer
Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom
Executive Board Office / Truman House
Karl-Marx-Strasse 2
14482 Potsdam-Babelsberg
Germany
Dear Mr. Saebisch, Mr. Rentsch, and Mr. Burow,
We, the undersigned academics, scientists, physicians, and scholars, welcome the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom’s decision to confer its 2026 Freedom Award upon the people of Iran. The award rightly recognizes a population whose long pursuit of constitutional government, civil liberties, equality before the law, and democratic self-government has required extraordinary courage and sacrifice.
Iran’s modern history has been marked by repeated efforts to establish accountable government and resist authoritarian rule. From the Constitutional Revolution to opposition against both monarchical and clerical authoritarianism, Iranians have consistently sought popular sovereignty, political pluralism, and the rule of law. Their struggle should therefore be understood not as support for any particular political faction, but as a continuing demand for democratic self-determination.
It is precisely because this award belongs to the Iranian people that we are concerned by the decision to have Mr. Reza Pahlavi receive it “in trust” on their behalf. Whatever the intention, such an arrangement confers symbolic legitimacy upon an individual who has received no democratic mandate from the Iranian people. Acceptance of a national honor is not merely ceremonial; it can imply representative authority and the capacity to speak in the name of those being honored.
Our concern does not arise from Mr. Pahlavi’s family background. The issue is his own political record and public positions. His continued praise for his father’s legacy, coupled with his reluctance to explicitly acknowledge the repression associated with the Pahlavi state, including restrictions on political freedoms, imprisonment and torture of dissidents, and the role of SAVAK, raises legitimate questions about whether he has fully distanced himself from that authoritarian past.
We are also concerned by aspects of Mr. Pahlavi’s proposed transition framework, which appear to concentrate significant authority in a single unelected figure. Democratic transitions require institutional safeguards, checks and balances, judicial independence, and accountability from their outset. Promises of future elections cannot substitute for democratic legitimacy during the transitional period itself.
Furthermore, the glorification of SAVAK and incidents of intimidation directed at Iranian dissidents by some of Mr. Pahlavi’s supporters are deeply troubling. While no individual can be held responsible for every action taken in his name, the celebration of institutions associated with political repression, and hostility toward those who reject both theocracy and monarchy, is inconsistent with democratic pluralism and freedom of expression.
The Foundation’s own principles suggest a constructive alternative. The award could remain in the Foundation’s custody until it can be presented to representatives freely chosen by the Iranian people. This would preserve the award’s non-partisan character, avoid conferring premature legitimacy on any political tendency, and affirm the democratic principle that representation derives only from the freely expressed consent of the people.
We, therefore, respectfully urge the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom to reconsider its decision to entrust the 2026 Freedom Award to Mr. Pahlavi. Such a step would strengthen, rather than diminish, the Foundation’s recognition of the Iranian people by ensuring that the award remains fully consistent with the democratic values it seeks to honor. The people of Iran deserve recognition for their resistance to despotism and their aspiration for a democratic future. Their collective voice should not be assigned to any unelected individual but reserved for those whom they themselves freely choose to represent them.
Yours sincerely,
Kazem Kazerounian
Professor and Former Dean of Engineering, University of Connecticut; Member, Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering
Hossein Sadeghpour
Professor and Director, Institute for Theoretical Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics, Harvard University
Hossein Saiedian
Professor of Computer Science, University of Kansas
Ashraf Zadshir
Professor and Clinical Faculty Member; Director of Community Medicine, Eisenhower Health; University of California, Riverside, and St George’s University
Ramesh Sepehrrad
Visiting Scholar, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, George Mason University
Firouz Daneshgari
Professor emeritus of Surgery, 3rd Chairman of Department of Urology at Case Western Reserve University
Nasim Parsa
MD; Associate Professor of Medicine; Director of Digital Health and Innovation; Co-Director, Esophageal Disorders Program, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, University of Minnesota Medical Center
Parham Alaei
Professor and Director of Medical Physics, University of Minnesota
Soolmaz Abooali
Professor and Faculty Member, Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, George Mason University; fourteen-time US Champion and four-time World Champion in Traditional Karate
Sofey Saidi
Scholar of International Relations, Democratic Transitions, and Global Governance
Matthew Tasooji
Professor of Business Management, California State University San Marcos
Hossein Jahansouz
Scientist, PhD, Amgen Biotechnology
Institutional affiliations are listed for identification purposes only.