The Iranian judiciary has upheld the one-year prison sentence for the renowned film director Jafar Panahi.
Panahi's lawyer, Mostafa Nili, on Sunday told the news website Emtedad that the appeal against the verdict had been rejected by the Revolutionary Court in Tehran.
This means that the two-year travel ban and the ban on membership of any political or social groups also remain in place, according to Nili.
Panahi had been convicted of "propaganda against the system" and supporting anti-government protests – in particular the women's movement of 2022.
The court cited his secretly filmed film "It Was Just an Accident" as key evidence. The film won the Palme d’Or at Cannes in 2025 and was also nominated for the Golden Globes and the Oscars.
Panahi was sentenced in absentia. In March, the director unexpectedly returned to Iran to challenge his prison sentence in court.
Panahi has been regarded for years as a prominent critic of the Islamic system and has been arrested on several occasions. His professional activities and freedom of movement have long been subject to strict restrictions.
