Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi jailed for anti-state activities

An Iranian court has sentenced Palme d'Or-winning Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi to one year in prison for engaging in anti-state propaganda. His lawyer Mostafa Nili said that in addition to the sentence, Panahi was also banned from traveling for two years and was also banned from joining any political or social organization. He said the verdict would be appealed.

The Guardian learned that although the specific charges against Panahi were not disclosed, it was said that he was involved in anti-state propaganda. The filmmaker, who is currently in France, is in the United States to promote his new film 'It Was Just an Accident'. The film won three awards at the Gotham Awards recently held in New York. He is also scheduled to attend the Marrakesh Film Festival in Morocco.

Jafar Panahi is known internationally as a courageous filmmaker who highlights social and political realities.
Jafar Panahi is known internationally as a courageous filmmaker who highlights social and political realities.

Jafar Panahi has had a long-standing conflict with the Iranian authorities. In 2010, he was banned from leaving the country and from making films due to his support for the anti-government movement and his critical films. Despite being sentenced to six years in prison, he was released on bail after serving only two months. Despite the ban, he made internationally acclaimed films such as This Is Not a Film and Taxi.

Jafar Panahi is known internationally as a courageous filmmaker who highlights social and political realities. His notable works include Taxi, Three Faces, and This Is Not a Film—through which he highlights the crisis of censorship, human rights, and free expression in Iran. Panahi has faced state pressure many times due to his critical views. He was even arrested in 2022 on charges of supporting anti-government protests and expressing political positions. That year, he was sentenced to six years in prison based on an old conviction, although he was released after seven months due to international pressure.