Key facts
- Jafar Panahi sentenced to five years, one month in prison.
- All of Panahi's assets ordered seized by the court.
- Panahi received a two-year travel ban and social media ban.
- Charges against Panahi remain unclear.
- Panahi was sentenced in absentia.
An Iranian court has sentenced award-winning film director Jafar Panahi to five years and one month in prison and ordered the seizure of all his assets. The 66-year-old filmmaker, who won the Palme d’Or at Cannes last year, was sentenced in absentia, according to his lawyer, Mostafa Nili. The court also imposed a two-year travel ban and barred him from using social media for the same period. The specific charges against Panahi remain unclear, but his lawyer stated that he faces three open legal cases and was not notified of the hearing date for the latest one. Concerns have been raised by fellow artists and human rights advocates regarding the sentence and its potential violation of Iran's constitution.