In May, Panahi received the Palme d'Or in Cannes for his now current Swedish film "It Was Just an Accident" - which is inspired by stories that the 65-year-old veteran director heard from fellow prisoners during his two prison stints.
On Monday, he was sentenced to prison again by a court in the Iranian capital Tehran, his lawyer told AFP. According to the lawyer, the verdict concerns “propaganda activities” and in addition to the prison sentence, the director is also subject to a two-year travel ban.
Earlier in November, Jafar Panahi visited Sweden in connection with the Stockholm Film Festival, where he reflected on his situation in his homeland, where he still lives, in an interview with TT.
"Success means that the government can't do anything with you anymore. Because you have eyes on you, even from the outside," he said at the time.
Despite his international success – “It was just an accident”, for example, has been submitted as France’s Oscar entry – his films are banned in Iran.
