News from Civsy, based on generative AI tools and retrieval-augumented real time data searchIran’s relentless campaign against independent artists has taken a new turn with a fresh prison sentence handed down to one of its most celebrated filmmakers, Jafar Panahi. The new ruling deepens a decades-long pattern of judicial harassment that has tried, and failed, to silence a director whose films have become synonymous with dissent, social critique and artistic courage.
New sentence handed down in absentia
On Monday 1 December 2025, Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran sentenced 65‑year‑old Jafar Panahi in absentia to one year in prison on the charge of “propaganda activities against the system.” The court also imposed a two‑year ban on leaving Iran and prohibited him from membership in any political or social organisations, further restricting his civic and professional life. The verdict was announced by his lawyer, Mostafa Nili, who has said that the defence team will appeal the ruling.
The new sentence came at the very moment Panahi was in New York, where on the same day he collected three awards at the Gotham Awards, including Best Director and Best International Feature, for his latest film “It Was Just an Accident.” Earlier, in May 2025, the case had already been reported as part of a broader judicial campaign against him, but the confirmation of the one‑year term and additional bans in early December underlined the authorities’ determination to keep him under threat of imprisonment.
A long history of repression
Panahi’s confrontation with Iran’s authorities stretches back at least two decades and has intensified since the early 2000s. In 2010, a Revolutionary Court sentenced him to six years in prison and imposed a 20‑year ban on filmmaking, screenwriting, interviews and travel abroad, accusing him of “propaganda against the system” linked to his support for the 2009 Green Movement protests and plans to make a film set during the unrest. Although he was released on conditional bail after around two months, the sentence and bans remained hanging over him and were later reactivated.
The pressure escalated again on 11 July 2022, when Panahi was arrested after he went to Evin prison to inquire about fellow detained filmmakers Mohammad Rasoulof and Mostafa Aleahmad. Authorities then moved to enforce the dormant 2010 six‑year sentence, and Panahi spent roughly seven months behind bars in Evin before being released in February 2023 following a hunger strike that drew international attention. Throughout this period, he continued to work despite the formal ban, shooting films such as “Taxi Tehran,” “No Bears,” and later “It Was Just an Accident” under semi‑clandestine conditions.
Cinema as evidence of dissent
Panahi’s new sentence is explicitly tied to alleged “propaganda activities,” a broad charge frequently used against dissident artists, journalists and activists in Iran. His latest film, “It Was Just an Accident,” shot after his release from Evin in 2023, draws directly on the stories and trauma of fellow prisoners and centres on former detainees confronting a man they believe was their torturer, offering a stark indictment of state violence and impunity. In September 2025, the film won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and was later selected as France’s submission for the 2026 Academy Awards in the international feature category, marking the first time since 1997 that an Iranian‑made film claimed the top Cannes prize.
The authorities’ decision to sentence him while he is on an international awards circuit underscores how symbolic his work has become. Panahi currently resides in France on a talent visa but continues to travel for festivals and advocacy, including scheduled appearances at the Marrakech International Film Festival in early December 2025. The new ruling raises acute concerns about his ability to return safely to Iran and reinforces the pattern of using criminal law to control the movement and visibility of critical artists.
A wider assault on artistic freedom
Jafar Panahi’s case must be seen within a broader context of escalating repression against Iranian artists, particularly in the wake of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests and continuing social unrest. Filmmakers, musicians and writers are routinely charged under national security and “propaganda” provisions for work that addresses political repression, gender inequality or everyday injustices, facing prison sentences, travel bans, confiscation of passports and bans on professional activity.
For artistic freedom advocates, Panahi has become a central figure in documenting how states weaponise the justice system against cultural workers. His new sentence on 1 December 2025 is not only an attack on one filmmaker but a warning to an entire artistic community that continues to insist on telling stories the authorities want suppressed.
Sources[1] Iranian director given jail sentence while on trip to collect ... https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1m8e8l1mp2o[2] Jafar Panahi Sentenced In Absentia To One Year In Prison ... https://deadline.com/2025/12/jafar-panahi-sentenced-one-year-prison-travel-ban-absentia-1236631954/[3] Director Jafar Panahi sentenced to prison by Iran ... https://www.euronews.com/culture/2025/12/02/palme-dor-winning-director-jafar-panahi-sentenced-to-prison-by-iran-revolutionary-court[4] Jafar Panahi Sentenced to a Year in Prison in Iran ... https://variety.com/2025/film/global/cannes-jafar-panahi-sentenced-prison-iran-1236596464/[5] Iran sentences acclaimed director Jafar Panahi in absentia to ... https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/iran-sentences-acclaimed-director-jafar-panahi-absentia-year-128029104[6] Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi sentenced to prison https://www.dw.com/en/iranian-filmmaker-jafar-panahi-sentenced-to-prison/a-72641831[7] Iran sentences acclaimed filmmaker to prison term on ... https://www.iranintl.com/en/202512018712[8] Jafar Panahi, Who Filmed in Secret in Iran, Wins Big at ... https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/01/movies/gotham-awards-jafar-panahi-it-was-just-an-accident-one-battle-after-another.html[9] Filmmaker accepts three awards in U.S. as Iran sentences ... https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/movies/2025/12/02/jafar-panahi-iran-prison/[10] Jafar Panahi - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jafar_Panahi[11] Iran's repression of artists in ongoing assault on freedom of expression https://www.freemuse.org/irans-repression-of-artists-in-ongoing-assault-on-freedom-of-expression[12] Iranian artists face worsening persecution – DW – 03/10/2025 https://www.dw.com/en/iranian-artists-face-worsening-persecution/a-71812023[13] Freedom's courtyard: how artists created a space safe from toxic ... https://www.iranintl.com/en/202510037744Renowned Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi has once again been targeted by Iran’s judiciary.
A Revolutionary Court in Tehran has sentenced the 65‑year‑old director in absentia to one year in prison for alleged “propaganda activities against the system,” accompanied by a two‑year travel ban and a prohibition on membership in political and social groups.
The ruling comes as Panahi is abroad receiving major awards for his Cannes‑winning film It Was Just an Accident, which draws directly on the experiences of former prisoners and confronts state violence and impunity.
This case is not only about one filmmaker. It exemplifies how Iranian authorities weaponise vague security charges to criminalise artistic expression and intimidate a whole generation of artists and cultural workers.
Mimeta will continue to document and amplify cases like Panahi’s, and to advocate for the protection of artistic freedom worldwide.
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