Jafar Panahi Facing Five Years Imprisonment in Iran After Being Sentenced in Absentia

Iranian director Jafar Panahi, a Cannes Palme d’Or winner and Oscar nominee, has been sentenced in absentia to five years of imprisonment by a Tehran Revolutionary Court. Following his return to Iran after promoting It Was Just an Accident, authorities have confiscated his assets and imposed a travel ban alongside a social media restriction. Local media reports indicate that Panahi is once again targeted by Iranian authorities after spending significant time abroad during the awards trail.