Jafar Panahi sentenced to prison in absentia in Iran

The sentence was handed down over what the Iranian court called “propaganda activities” against the country, according to his lawyer Mostafa Nili. The sentence also includes a two-year travel bar and bars him from membership in any social or political groups. Panahi had previously been jailed in Iran after a 2022 arrest. He was released following a hunger strike. In 2010, Panahi was arrested for propaganda against the regime and was penalized with a 20-year travel ban and 20-year ban on making films; he spent 86 days in jail. His subsequent films have been made illegally, though the ban was not always enforced; RFI reports that his recent Palme d’Or win was hailed in the Iranian media. 

In October, Panahi arrived in the United States for the first time in nearly 25 years. That trip also proved to be something of a governmental headache, though for a different reason: The U.S. government was shut down. After a few days’ delay, Panahi made it to the New York Film Festival, where he spoke with Martin Scorsese and reflected on the governmental interference and his resolve to continue filmmaking despite the hurdles.