The filmmaker who gets jailed for making movies: Who is Jafar Panahi? Oscar-nominated director gets 5-year imprisonment

Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi has received a sentence of five years and one month in prison, along with an order to seize his assets. 

Iranian director Jafar Panahi has received a prison sentence of five years and one month. His lawyer, Mostafa Nili, disclosed the ruling during an interview with Emtedad late on Tuesday, 28 October. The court also ordered the seizure of his movable and immovable assets.

Who is Jafar Panahi?

Jafar Panahi is a celebrated Iranian director known for making films despite government restrictions. His work and public criticism have repeatedly brought him into conflict with Iran’s leadership.

Over two decades, he has faced imprisonment, travel restrictions and house arrest. Yet, he has continued making films, often secretly, while speaking against violence targeting protesters.

His films include This Is Not a Film, Taxi and It Was Just an Accident. The latest film follows former prisoners confronting a man they believe tortured them.

It was filmed secretly inside Iran after Panahi’s release from prison in 2023. The film won the Palme d’Or at Cannes and received an Oscar nomination.

Panahi travelled abroad to promote the film but returned to Iran in March 2026. He said he needed to live and work there, despite facing imprisonment. His return followed the start of American and Israeli attacks on Iran.

Why has he received another prison sentence?

Nili did not specify the charges behind this particular conviction. Panahi was previously convicted of propaganda activities against the system.

The exact legal basis for the latest sentence remains unclear. His recent film and criticism provide context, but their direct role remains unconfirmed.

Activist Hossein Razzagh told The Associated Press that the sentence was issued on Monday, 27 October. He said he had spoken with Panahi that evening after the ruling. According to Razzagh, the director was not detained at the time.

Razzagh also said that Panahi’s bank accounts had been blocked. The sentence can be appealed. Panahi already faced a separate one-year prison sentence before returning home.

History with Iran’s rulers

Jafar Panahi is hailed as a hero outside Iran. However, he has always been a controversial figure in his own country.

His troubles intensified during protests over President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s disputed 2009 election victory. He was arrested while mourning Neda Agha-Soltan, a student killed during the unrest.

In 2010, authorities sentenced him to six years in prison. They also imposed a 20-year ban covering filmmaking, screenwriting, foreign travel and media interviews.

He continued working despite these restrictions. During house arrest, he filmed This Is Not a Film inside his apartment. It reached Cannes on a flash drive hidden inside a cake. For Taxi, he posed as a Tehran cab driver and used hidden dashboard cameras.

In July 2022, he protested the arrest of fellow filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof at Tehran’s prosecutor’s office. Authorities detained him and sent him to Evin Prison under his earlier sentence.

He spent seven months behind bars before starting a hunger strike. His imprisonment ended in early 2023, and his travel ban was lifted that year.

Jafar Panahi later supported the Woman, Life, Freedom protests. In December 2025, he received another one-year sentence while absent from court.

His latest sentence marks another chapter in his long conflict with Iranian authorities. His career reflects repeated attempts to keep making films despite official restrictions.

About the Author

Sounak Mukhopadhyay covers trending news, sports and entertainment for LiveMint. His reporting focuses on fast-moving stories, box office performance, digital culture and major cricket developments. He combines real-time updates with clear context for everyday readers. <br><br> Sounak brings newsroom experience across breaking news, explainers and long-form features. He has a strong emphasis on accuracy, verification and responsible storytelling. His work tracks audience behaviour, celebrity influence and the business of sport and cinema. He helps readers understand why a story matters beyond the headline. <br><br> Sounak has contributed to widely read digital publications. He continues to build a body of journalism shaped by consistency, speed and editorial clarity. He is particularly interested in the intersection of media, popular culture and public conversation in contemporary India. <br><br> At LiveMint, he writes daily coverage as well as analytical pieces that interpret numbers, trends and cultural moments in accessible language. His approach prioritises factual depth, balanced framing and reader trust. The reporting aligns with modern newsroom standards of transparency and credibility. <br><br> Outside daily reporting, he explores storytelling across formats including podcasts, filmmaking and narrative non-fiction. Through his journalism, Sounak aims to document the rhythms of modern entertainment and sports while maintaining rigorous editorial integrity. <br><br> Sounak continues to develop audience-focused journalism that connects speed with substance in a rapidly-changing information environment. His work seeks clarity, trust and lasting public value in every story he reports.