Tehran’s Revolutionary Court has sentenced Jafar Panahi – the famous Iranian director who recently won the Palme d’Or – to one year in prison, a two-year travel ban and a ban on membership in any political or social organizations, his lawyer confirmed on December 1, 2025.
The decision, handed down in absentia, accused Panahi of “propaganda activities” against the Iranian regime – a familiar charge in repeated legal cases against the director over the years.
Why was Palme d’Or winner Jafar Panahi sentenced to one year in prison?
The verdict comes just months after Panahi – aged 65 – achieved one of world cinema’s greatest honors. His latest film “It Was Just a Coincidence” won the 2025 Cannes Film Festival’s top prize, the Palme d’Or.
In this film, a group of ex-prisoners confront a man they believe to be their former jailer, a story that many critics see as a stark allegory of state repression and a daring act of cinematic defiance.
Read also | Cannes Palme dOr winner Cristian Mungiu will direct Fjord starring Sebastian Stan
Panahi has spent much of the past two decades undergoing severe restrictions: after openly supporting anti-government protests in 2009, he was convicted of “propaganda against the system” in 2010 and given six years in prison and a 20-year ban on filming, international travel and media appearances.
He was undeterred and refused to be silent. During his house arrest, he co-directed This Is Not a Film (2011), a stark documentary shot in his apartment that was smuggled out of Iran on a USB drive and screened at Cannes – a daring act of artistic resistance.
He later found success with films like ‘Taxi’ (2015), shot entirely in a car, which won the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival.
After years of bans and hidden productions, Panahi resurrected his public presence this year, returning to Cannes for the first time in more than 20 years for the premiere of “It Was Just an Accident.”
What the new verdict means for Panahi – and Iranian cinema
The new sentence puts Panahi under grave threat once again. The prison sentence, travel ban and ban on participation in social or political organizations threaten not only his personal safety, but also his ability to work internationally or collaborate with other artists.
The timing is startling: a director who just weeks ago walked the Cannes red carpet as a Palme d’Or winner is now facing legal action in his home country.
Read also | Sean Combs hosts a Thanksgiving meal for inmates at Fort Dix Prison
The decision has sparked concern among international film communities and human rights watchdogs, who say it underscores renewed pressure on Iranian filmmakers since nationwide protests sparked in 2022 by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini.
In 2022, Panahi was briefly detained after demanding information about other jailed directors – yet he was released after several months following an international outcry.
Some critics believe his latest film, which confronts state violence and trauma, was the catalyst for renewed targeting.
