Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi reportedly faces a five-year prison sentence, asset confiscation and additional restrictions despite winning the 2025 Cannes Film Festival’s Palme d’Or.
TEHRAN: Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi has reportedly been sentenced to five years and one month in prison, with a Tehran court also ordering the confiscation of his assets and imposing two-year bans on international travel and social media activity, according to reports citing his lawyer.
The ruling, issued by Branch 26 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court, was reportedly handed down in absentia. The charges underlying the latest conviction have not been publicly clarified, leaving questions about the legal basis of the decision.
Panahi’s lawyer, Mostafa Nili, reportedly learned of the verdict after the filmmaker’s bank accounts were frozen. According to reports, the legal team contacted the relevant prosecutor’s office to establish the reason for the account restrictions and discovered that a new sentence had been issued.
The sentence is separate from a previous one-year prison term imposed on Panahi in 2025 over allegations of propaganda activities against the Iranian establishment. Despite that earlier conviction, the director returned to Iran in March 2026. The latest ruling can be appealed, and reports indicated that he had not been detained following the sentencing.
Panahi, 66, is one of Iran’s most internationally recognised filmmakers. His career has repeatedly brought him into conflict with authorities, resulting in arrests, imprisonment, travel restrictions and house arrest. Despite these obstacles, he has continued making films that examine Iranian society, individual freedoms and the experiences of ordinary people.
His latest film, It Was Just an Accident, earned international recognition after winning the Palme d’Or at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. The achievement further strengthened his standing in world cinema. The film was reportedly shot clandestinely in Iran, reflecting the constraints under which he has continued his work.
Before completing the film, Panahi had spent seven months in prison. His detention ended in 2023 following a hunger strike protesting his imprisonment. His continued filmmaking despite restrictions has become a defining feature of his career.
Panahi has also received major honours at two other leading European film festivals. His film Taxi won the Golden Bear at the 2015 Berlin International Film Festival, while The Circle received the Golden Lion at the 2000 Venice Film Festival. Together with his Cannes triumph, these awards place him among the select group of directors to win the top prizes at all three festivals.
The latest ruling could further complicate Panahi’s ability to travel, communicate through social media and manage his professional affairs. The reported asset confiscation also raises concerns about the practical consequences for his personal and filmmaking activities.
With the charges in the latest case still unclear, the full implications of the verdict remain uncertain. The case adds another chapter to Panahi’s long-running legal difficulties in Iran, even as his films continue to attract international recognition.
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