Iranian Filmmaker Jafar Panahi Sentenced to One Year in Prison

Tehran's Revolutionary Court, Section 26, has upheld a one-year prison sentence for acclaimed Iranian director Jafar Panahi, rejecting his appeal against the December 2025 verdict issued in absentia. The ruling also imposes a two-year ban on leaving the country and prohibits membership in political and social groups. Panahi, who won the Palme d'Or at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival for his film 'Un semplice incidente' (A Simple Incident), faces charges including spreading propaganda against the Islamic Republic, supporting dissidents and political prisoners, producing a film deemed clandestine, and backing the 'Woman, Life, Freedom' protest movement that emerged after Mahsa Amini's death. The sentence was signed by Judge Iman Afshari, who has been sanctioned by the European Union for his rulings against regime opponents. Panahi has 20 days from notification to appeal. Known for his humanist and socially engaged cinema, Panahi has long worked under creative restrictions, often making films clandestinely in taxis, homes, or remote villages. His works include 'Taxi Tehran' (2015) and 'No Bears' (2022), and he continues to use film as a form of resistance.