Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi has received a new prison sentence of five years and one month
from an Iranian court. The court has also ordered the seizure of his assets. According to his
lawyer the decision was made without Panahi being present in court.

Panahi is a famous film director who won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival last year.
He received the award for his film It Was Just an Accident. His latest sentence has raised
concerns because the charges against him have not been clearly explained.

Panahi’s lawyer Mostafa Nili shared details of the court decision with the Iranian news outlet
Emtedad. He said the court had also banned Panahi from travelling abroad for two years. The
filmmaker has also been prohibited from using social media for the same period.
Panahi returned to Iran in March after travelling overseas to promote his award-winning film. He
had already received a one-year prison sentence in absentia last year over accusations of
carrying out propaganda activities against the Iranian system.

A European-based activist and friend of Panahi told the Associated Press that he had spoken
with the filmmaker after the latest decision. According to the friend Panahi had not been
detained at that time.

His lawyer also said that Panahi currently faces three open legal cases. He reportedly did not
receive notice of the hearing date for the latest case. His lawyer learned about the proceedings
after Panahi’s bank accounts were frozen the previous week.

Moein Khazaeli, a human rights lawyer at the legal counselling centre Dadban, questioned the
legal basis for the court’s decision. He said the seizure of Panahi’s assets could violate Iran’s
constitution unless authorities establish a clear legal connection between the property and an
alleged offence.

Earlier this year Panahi also spoke about violence and fear in Iran during an interview with The
Guardian while visiting the United States. He warned that continued violence could make it
increasingly difficult to restore peace.

The new sentence has brought further attention to Panahi’s legal troubles and raised questions
about the reasons behind the court’s decision. The charges related to the latest case remain
unclear based on the available report.

Sources: The Guardian, Associated Press and statements from Panahi’s lawyer Mostafa Nili,
as cited in the supplied report.

Fatima Khan