Another prison sentence for Iranian director Panahi

Verdict in Tehran: Another prison sentence for Iranian director Panahi As of: October 28, 2026 • 2:11 p.m

The Iranian judiciary continues to take action against the director and Palme d'Or winner Jafar Panahi. According to a report, the 66-year-old regime critic in Tehran was again sentenced to several years in prison.

Iranian director Jafar Panahi has apparently been sentenced to another year in prison. A revolutionary court in the capital Tehran sentenced him to five years and one month in prison, the Emtedad newspaper reported, citing Panahi's lawyer Mostafa Nili. In addition, all of his assets should be confiscated. In addition, a two-year ban on leaving the country was imposed.

The 66-year-old traveled back to his homeland at the beginning of April in the middle of the war. “Last week my client announced that his bank accounts had been blocked,” Nili told the newspaper. His investigations into the judiciary had then revealed that Panahi had been convicted in absentia.

The jury's prize went to the German director Mascha Schilinski. more

The Iranian judiciary had previously sentenced the star director to one year in prison for “propaganda against the system”. A court cited his secretly shot film “A Simple Accident” as central evidence. The work won the Palme d'Or in Cannes in 2025 and was also nominated for the Golden Globes and the Oscars.

Panahi has been a prominent critic in Iran for years. He was imprisoned from July 2022 to February 2023. He has been subject to restrictions on professional activities and travel for years.

This topic in the program: BR24 Radio | News | Oct 28, 2026 | 12:09 Uhrtagesschau.de | Iranian star director Panahi sentenced to five years in prison | Oct 28, 2026 | 2:04 p.m