Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi sentenced to over five years in prison
Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi has been sentenced to more than five years in prison, along with the seizure of his assets and a two-year travel and social media ban. The filmmaker discovered the ruling only after his bank accounts were unexpectedly frozen, as he and his lawyer were not previously notified of the court's decision.
The 66-year-old Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi has been sentenced to over five years in prison, with the court also ordering the seizure of his real estate and personal assets. Additionally, Panahi faces a two-year travel ban and a prohibition on using social media for the same duration. The filmmaker and his legal counsel were unaware of the ruling until Panahi discovered his bank accounts had been frozen last week. It remains uncertain whether he is currently in Iran or abroad, though reports suggest he returned to his home country following the outbreak of conflict on February 28. Panahi has faced numerous arrests and legal battles throughout his career, including a six-year prison sentence in 2010 that he did not fully serve, and a long-standing ban on filmmaking that he defied by producing several clandestine projects. More recently, in June, he received a one-year sentence for his film It Was Just An Accident, which was awarded the Palme d'Or at Cannes.
Based on reporting by nu. Translated and condensed by LocalHeadlines.
