Jafar Panahi Faces Five-Year Prison Sentence in Iran After Releasing ‘It Was Just an Accident’
The Oscar-nominated filmmaker and Palme d'Or winner has also been banned from travel and social media activity for two years.
Iranian director Jafar Panahi has been sentenced to an additional 5-year prison term by the Iranian Revolutionary Court, on top of his existing 1-year sentence, according to reformist media outlet Emtedad. Panahi was in Iran following the Academy Awards, where his film "It Was Just An Accident" was nominated for two awards. The court has also confiscated Panahi's assets and banned him from using social media and traveling abroad.
His lawyer revealed the sentence after noticing his bank account was frozen. The charges related to the new sentence are unclear, but Panahi has been critical of the Iranian government in his filmmaking, leading to previous bans and 1-year prison sentences. Despite this, Panahi's unique voice in cinema has earned him four Palme d'Or wins and other prestigious accolades.
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