(MENAFN- Live Mint) Tehran Revolutionary Court has sentenced Jafar Panahi - the celebrated Iranian director who recently won the Palme d'Or - to one year in prison, a two-year travel ban, and a ban on membership in any political or social organisations, his lawyer confirmed on December 1, 2025.

The ruling, delivered in absentia, accuses Panahi of“propaganda activities” against the Iranian regime - a familiar charge in repeated legal cases against the director over the years.

Why was Palme d'Or winner Jafar Panahi sentenced to one year in prison?

The verdict comes just months after Panahi - aged 65 - achieved one of the greatest accolades in world cinema. His latest film, 'It Was Just an Accident', won the 2025 Cannes Film Festival's top prize, the Palme d'Or.

In that film, a group of former inmates confront a man they believe to be their former jailer, a story that many critics see as a sharp allegory for state repression and a bold act of cinematic defiance.

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Panahi had spent much of the past two decades navigating severe restrictions: after openly supporting anti-government protests in 2009, he was convicted in 2010 of“propaganda against the system” and received a six-year prison sentence as well as a 20-year ban on filmmaking, international travel, and media appearances.

Undeterred, he refused to remain silent. During his house arrest, he co-directed 'This Is Not a Film' (2011), a stark documentary made in his apartment that was smuggled out of Iran on a USB drive and screened at Cannes - a daring act of artistic resistance.

He later succeeded with films like 'Taxi' (2015), shot entirely inside a car, which won the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival.

After years of bans and hidden productions, Panahi resurrected his public presence this year - returning to Cannes for the first time in over 20 years for the premiere of 'It Was Just an Accident'.

What the new verdict means for Panahi - and Iranian cinema

The new sentence places Panahi once again under heavy threat. The prison term, travel ban and prohibition on participating in social or political organisations threaten not just his personal safety, but also his ability to work internationally or collaborate with other artists.

The timing is striking: a director who just weeks ago stood on the Cannes red carpet as a Palme d'Or winner is now legally condemned by his home country.

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The ruling has stirred concern among international film communities and human-rights monitors, who argue that it underscores renewed pressure on Iranian filmmakers since the nationwide protests sparked by the 2022 death in custody of Mahsa Amini.

In 2022, Panahi was briefly detained after claiming information about fellow jailed directors - yet he was released after several months, following international outcry.

Some critics believe that his latest film, which confronts state violence and trauma, was the catalyst for renewed targeting.

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