Iranian Revolutionary Court Confirms One-Year Prison Sentence for Filmmaker Jafar Panahi

Tehran’s Revolutionary Court has upheld a one‑year prison sentence and a two‑year travel ban for internationally acclaimed director Jafar Panahi, rejecting his recent appeal. The court affirmed the conviction on "propaganda against the regime" charges, citing his production of a clandestine film, support for detained artists, and involvement in protest movements such as "Woman, Life, Freedom." Panahi, 65, returned to Iran in late March after attending the Oscars, where his film *It Was Just an Accident* was nominated for Best International Feature Film. The ruling does not lead to immediate incarceration; his legal team said the decision can be challenged within 20 days at the Tehran Provincial Court of Appeal. The verdict follows a long history of confrontations with authorities, including a 2010 ban on filmmaking, a 2022‑23 arrest and hunger strike, and previous imprisonment. Human‑rights groups and film organizations have condemned the decision as part of a broader crackdown on dissenting cultural voices in Iran.