Filmmaker Jafar Panahi sentenced to six years in prison

GVF -- Renowned Iranian filmmaker and outspoken supporter of the Green Movement, Jafar Panahi, has been sentenced to six years in prison. According to the sentence handed down by branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court, Panahi has also received a twenty-year ban on making or directing any movies, writing screenplays, giving any form of interview with Iranian or foreign media as well as leaving the country.

According to informed sources, the court decision was based on articles 500, 610 and 19 of the Islamic Penal Code. Panahi was accused of “assembly and colluding with the intention to commit crimes against the country’s national security and propaganda against the Islamic Republic.”

Jafar Panahi, globally recognised for his works throughout the years, has been the recipient of numerous awards including the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival.

In the months following Iran’s fraudulent 2009 presidential election, Panahi was among the notable figures who sided with the Iranian people and the Green Movement. He was arrested once on 30 July 2009 in Beheshte Zahra cemetery, while paying respect to those who had perished as a result of government clampdowns against protesters. He was released days after his initial arrest.

Panahi’s second arrest came on 1 March 2010 when he was imprisoned along with eighteen others who were in the process of making a movie at his house. The acclaimed film-maker was finally released on bail on 25 May, amidst a growing international pressure on Iranian authorities for his immediate release.

Panahi had openly backed Mir Hossein Mousavi during the 2009 presidential race.