Iranian Filmmaker Jafar Panahi Sentenced to Prison While Abroad

iranwire – Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi has been sentenced to one year in prison by an Islamic Revolutionary Court, his lawyer announced. The trial was held in his absence while he was abroad.

Mostafa Nili, Panahi’s lawyer, said Branch 26 of Tehran’s Islamic Revolutionary Court has also banned the 65-year-old filmmaker from leaving Iran for two years and prohibited him from joining political or social groups.

“We will take the necessary legal steps to appeal this verdict within the legal timeframe,” Nili wrote on X.

The sentence comes months after Panahi’s film won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.

“It was just an accident” was made without official permits and features female actors without the mandatory hijab.

Panahi was arrested in 2022 and held in Tehran’s Evin Prison for nearly seven months. He was temporarily released on bail after a hunger strike.

The filmmaker has faced government restrictions for years, including previous travel bans.

In the days leading up to the Cannes festival, Iranian security forces reportedly increased pressure on the film’s crew, and some filmmakers involved in the production were summoned for questioning.

France submitted Panahi’s film as its entry for Best International Feature at the Academy Awards.

Panahi remains one of Iran’s most internationally acclaimed directors, despite repeated clashes with authorities over his work.