Filmmaker who is imprisoned for making films: Who is Jafar Panahi? Oscar-nominated director gets 5 years in prison | Today’s news
Iranian director Jafar Panahi was sentenced to five years and one month in prison. His lawyer, Mostafa Nili, disclosed the decision during an interview with Emtedad on Tuesday, October 28. The court also ordered the seizure of his movable and immovable property.
Who is Jafar Panahi?
Jafar Panahi is a famous Iranian director known for making films despite government restrictions. His work and public criticism have repeatedly brought him into conflict with the Iranian leadership.
He faced prison terms, travel restrictions and house arrest for over two decades. Yet he continued to make films, often in secret, while speaking out against violence directed at protesters.
Read also | In Iran, a one-year prison sentence was confirmed for Jafar Panahi
His films include This Is Not a Movie, Taxi and It Was Just an Accident. The latest film follows former prisoners confronting the man they believe tortured them.
It was filmed secretly in Iran after Panahi’s release from prison in 2023. The film won the Palme d’Or at Cannes and was nominated for an Academy Award.
Panahi traveled abroad to promote the film, but returned to Iran in March 2026. He said he needed to live and work there despite facing prison. His return followed the launch of American and Israeli attacks on Iran.
Why did he get another prison sentence?
Nili did not specify the charges behind that particular conviction. Panahi was previously convicted of propaganda activities against the system.
The exact legal basis for the last sentence remains unclear. His recent film and criticism provide context, but their direct role remains unconfirmed.
Activist Hossein Razzagh told The Associated Press that the verdict was handed down on Monday, October 27. He said he spoke to Panahi that evening after the sentencing. According to Razzagh, the director was not detained at the time.
Razzagh also said that Panahi’s bank accounts had been frozen. The sentence can be appealed. Panahi already faced a separate one-year prison term before returning home.
History with Iranian rulers
Jafar Panahi is hailed as a hero outside of Iran. However, he was always a controversial figure in his country.
His troubles intensified during protests against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s disputed election victory in 2009. He was arrested while mourning Neda Agha-Soltan, a student killed during the riots.
Read also | ‘The truth is I’m a bit scared’: Jafar Panahi expresses concern over signs of authoritarianism and growing political repression
In 2010, authorities sentenced him to six years in prison. They also imposed a 20-year ban on filmmaking, screenwriting, foreign travel and media interviews.
Despite these limitations, he continued to work. While under house arrest, he filmed This Is Not a Film in his apartment. He got to Cannes on a flash drive hidden inside a cake. For Taxi, he posed as a Tehran taxi driver and used hidden dashboard cameras.
In July 2022, he protested the arrest of filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof at the Tehran Prosecutor’s Office. Authorities arrested him and sent him to Evin Prison on an earlier conviction.
Read also | Palme d’Or winner Jafar Panahi sentenced to one year in prison
He spent seven months behind bars before starting a hunger strike. His incarceration ended in early 2023 and his travel ban was lifted that year.
Jafar Panahi later supported the Woman, Life, Freedom protests. In December 2025, he received another one-year sentence in absentia.
His latest sentence marks another chapter in his long conflict with Iranian authorities. His career reflects repeated attempts to continue making films despite official restrictions.