Why is Jafar Panahi facing another prison sentence in Iran?

Iranian film director Jafar Panahi, who won the Cannes Film Festival's Palme d'Or for last year's 'It Was Just an Accident' has been sentenced to five years and one month in prison in Tehran's Revolutionary Court. Along with his imprisonment, the court has ordered the seizure of all his moveable and non-moveable property and a two-year ban on travelling abroad and the use of social media. Details about the specific charges against Panahi in his recent case have not yet been revealed by Iranian authorities.

The verdict was issued in absentia

Perhaps the most controversial aspect of the verdict is that it was passed in his absence. Panahi’s lawyer, Mostafa Nili, said the Iranian filmmaker was not pre-informed about the date of the court hearing. He heard about the verdict only after his bank accounts were frozen last week.

Panahi has three other pending cases against him.

The filmmaker who refuses to go silent

At 66, Jafar Panahi is one of the most important names in Iranian cinema. He is a recipient of some of the most significant film awards worldwide. Cannes’s Palme d'Or, Venice's Golden Lion, Berlin's Golden Bear - all of these are in his trophy cabinet.

The problem for him has been that most of his films have been banned in his country. In 2010, he was hit with a 20-year ban on making films, writing scripts and travelling abroad. He managed to circumvent the ban through secret filmmaking.

What are the charges against Panahi?

The main charge against Panahi is 'propaganda against the system'. In December 2025, he was convicted of this crime and sentenced to a one-year prison term. He also received a two-year ban on travelling abroad. The new court order is not related to his previous case.

Panahi's lawyer says the court called his client 'at large' even though he returned to Iran on March 30 this year. He also presented himself to an investigating court in August.

There are questions about the due process that has led to the new court ruling, especially because it appears he wasn’t notified ahead of the hearing.

The legalities of the asset confiscation

There are those who believe that this judgement is just one in a series of actions being taken to silence dissent within the Iranian political structure. International human rights organisations have been vocal in their objections to the prosecution of artists and government critics on such charges as "propaganda against the state".

Legal experts have cast doubt on the constitutional right to confiscate Panahi's assets, suggesting that a lack of legal rationale linking the alleged crimes committed by Panahi with his asset confiscation could be a possible legal challenge to the judgement.

The sentence has caused further concern among Iran's film-making community many of whom regard Panahi's situation as a warning shot to independent artistic expression.

'Islamic Republic scared of his stories'

Setareh Maleki an Iranian actress living in exile said the sentence was a reflection of the regime's fear of the independent telling of stories.

"The biggest fear of a dictatorship is the lack of control over people's storytelling. Jafar Panahi has narrated his stories and his sentence demonstrates just how scared the Islamic republic is of that very act of storytelling" she said.

An Iranian film-maker still making films clandestinely in Iran said that Panahi was a source of pride because he hadn't been silent.

'I have to live in my own country'

Panahi has been clear about his stance. That in the face of a jail term he still asserts the right to return to Iran and to live and work in his country.

"I am one of those who has to live in his own country. I want to breathe the air of my own country. I want to work in my country. If they want to execute this jail sentence, then so be it. But my decision to go back to my country is never going to change."

Panahi's refusal to move away from his country, even with the risks of doing so, is a very strong symbol of artistic resistance to the suppression of culture.

For Panahi this is not just about making films. It's about having a voice and the ability to tell stories. It's about working freely and being able to live in his country. His latest sentence throws up the question of how much room there is for artists who choose not to be controlled by the state.

Sources

Bangla Telegraph, 28 October 2026: Cannes-winning filmmaker Jafar Panahi faces another prison sentence.

TBS News, 28 October 2026: Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi receives a fresh five-year prison sentence, assets ordered confiscated.

Prothom Alo, 29 October 2026: Iran sentences Palme d’Or-winning filmmaker to five years in prison, orders asset confiscation.

The Hindu, 28 October 2026: Jafar Panahi sentenced to five years in prison in Iran, faces new ruling on top of previous one-year conviction.

Outlook India, 28 October 2026: Cannes winner Jafar Panahi handed five-year sentence in Iran.

RTVE, 28 October 2026: Report on the sentence against Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi.