Renowned Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi has returned to Iran despite the war and the threat of prison. As the daily newspaper “Hammihan” further reported, the 65-year-old entered the country by land via the Turkish border.
A revolutionary court sentenced Panahi to one year in prison in absentia last December. He was also given a two-year travel ban and a ban on joining political or social organizations.
The charge was “propaganda against the system.” The court cited Panahi’s recent, secretly filmed film “A Simple Accident” as evidence. The work won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 2025. He was also nominated for the Golden Globes and the Oscars this year.
In the fictional drama, a former prison inmate meets his alleged tormentor in a car accident. He kidnaps him and introduces the kidnapped man to other former prisoners. The film is about desire for revenge and questions about justice.
Panahi was imprisoned in Iran from July 2022 to February 2023. He has been subject to restrictions on professional activities and travel for years.