ATehran Revolutionary Court has sentenced acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi to five years and one month in prison, a separate ruling from an existing one-year sentence.
This development was shared by Panahi’s lawyer, Mostafa Nili, with Emtedad News Agency.
The court’s decision, issued in absentia, also includes the confiscation of Panahi’s assets, a two-year ban on social media use, and a two-year travel ban. The implementation of both the new and existing prison sentences remains discretionary. Panahi’s legal team discovered the new verdict after his bank accounts were unexpectedly frozen last week, prompting a visit to the prosecutor’s office.
Panahi, known globally for award-winning films like ‘The Circle’ and ‘Offside’, has frequently faced legal challenges from Iranian authorities over the past two decades. In 2010, he was barred from making films, speaking to the press, and traveling, yet he continued to create cinema clandestinely. He was arrested in 2022 in connection with protests but released seven months later.
Despite a one-year prison sentence pending in Iran, Panahi was allowed to travel to the Cannes Film Festival in April 2023 to promote his film ‘It Was Just an Accident’. He subsequently traveled widely for its promotion before returning to Iran, a decision considered risky given the escalating tensions and his legal situation.