Filmmaker Jafar Panahi sentenced to another five years in Iranian prison
Jafar Panahi, the acclaimed, oft-imprisoned director of Oscar-nominated It Was Just An Accident was sentenced in absentia.
Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi has been sentenced to an additional five years in prison, according to reports. The renowned director, known for his acclaimed films such as The White Balloon and The Circle, continues to face persecution from the Iranian government. In 2010, Panahi was initially convicted for "propaganda against the Islamic Republic" and sentenced to six years in prison, along with being banned from filmmaking for 20 years.
Despite this ban, Panahi persisted in making films, with his 2011 work This Is Not A Film premiering at the Cannes Film Festival. He has since been making films secretly and has been in Iran since March, though his current exact circumstances remain unclear. The specific charges against Panahi are still unknown, though he is believed to be in legal custody.
Panahi's lawyers have reported that his bank accounts have been frozen. Despite the ongoing legal battles, Panahi has expressed his determination to return to Iran, stating that it is his duty as an artist.
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