According to Mansour Jahani‘s report, an independent international cinema journalist, Iranian director Jafar Panahi, winner of the Palme d’Or, was sentenced to one year in prison and a two-year ban on leaving the country, as well as a ban on membership in political and social groups.

On Monday, December 1, 2025, attorney Mustafa Nili wrote on his social media X: “Branch 26 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Tehran has sentenced Mr Panahi in absentia to one year in prison and a two-year ban on leaving the country, as well as a ban on membership in political and social groups or factions, for propaganda activities against the regime. We will take the necessary legal steps to appeal this ruling.”

Jafar Panahi’s previous prison sentences

In 2010, Panahi was sentenced to 6 years’ imprisonment (plus a 20-year ban on filmmaking and travel) for propaganda against the state and for colluding against national security; he served 3 months (March–May) before being released on bail.

In July 2022, he was arrested and served 7 months (July 2022–February 2023) at Evin Prison as partial activation of the 2010 sentence; he was released after a hunger strike.

A director of numerous awards

Jafar Panahi won the Palme d’Or at Cannes earlier this year with It Was Just an Accident. Earlier that same day, he was also given the Citizenship Award. He also won the Golden Lion at Venice in 2000 for his masterpiece, The Circle (Dâyere). At the 2015 Berlinale, he won the Golden Bear for Taxi. At the 1997 Locarno festival, he was given the Golden Leopard for The Mirror.

Update 2/1 2026

According to a new report by Mansour Jahani, Iranian director Jafar Panahi, winner of the Palme d’Or and other prestigious international awards for making the film It Was Just an Accident, will stand trial in Iran on Sunday, January 4, 2026, at Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court.

According to Mansour Jahani, attorney Mostafa Nili wrote on his X social media: “After appealing against the one-year prison sentence for propaganda activities against the regime of Mr Jafar Panahi, Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court has set the hearing date for January 4, 2026.”

On Monday, December 1, 2025, Branch 26 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Tehran sentenced Mr Jafar Panahi in absentia to one year in prison and a two-year ban on leaving the country, as well as a ban on membership in political and social groups or factions, for propaganda activities against the regime.