Iranian film-maker Jafar Panahi given new prison sentence and has assets seized
Summary
An Iranian court sentenced film-maker Jafar Panahi to five years and one month in prison and ordered all his assets seized, his lawyer said. The court also imposed a two-year travel ban and social-media ban; Panahi was sentenced in absentia and had not been detained as of Monday evening.Key Facts
- Panahi’s lawyer, Mostafa Nili, said the charges in the latest case remain unclear.
- Nili said Panahi had not been told when the latest hearing would take place and learned of it after his bank accounts were frozen.
- The ruling follows a separate one-year prison sentence issued in absentia last year for “propaganda activities against the system.”
- Panahi returned to Iran in March after an overseas trip promoting his film It Was Just an Accident, which won the Palme d’Or at Cannes last year.
- A human rights lawyer said confiscating Panahi’s assets could violate Iran’s constitution unless authorities establish a clear legal basis linking the property to an alleged offence.
- Panahi’s lawyer said he faces three open legal cases.
- Artists and human rights advocates voiced concern that the ruling reflects risks for people working independently in Iran.
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