Iran upholds one‑year prison sentence for filmmaker Jafar Panahi

Iran's revolutionary court in Tehran confirmed a one‑year prison term for acclaimed director Jafar Panahi on charges of "propaganda against the regime". The ruling, issued days after the original December 2025 sentence, gives Panahi twenty days to seek a further appeal at the Tehran Provincial Appellate Court. If the appeal fails, the verdict also includes a two‑year travel ban. Panahi, 65, has long been a symbol of cultural resistance, having previously faced a six‑year sentence and a twenty‑year filmmaking ban after his 2010 arrest. Despite restrictions, he continued to produce clandestine films, most recently "Un simple accident," which won the Cannes Palme d'Or and earned an Oscar nomination. The latest judgment underscores the Iranian authorities' continued crackdown on artistic dissent while highlighting Panahi's enduring status as a global advocate for creative freedom.