The facts
Screen reports that Branch 26 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court also imposed two-year travel and social-media bans. Nili said the ruling was issued in absentia despite Panahi having returned to Iran. [2]
Activist Hossein Razzagh told AP he spoke with Panahi after the sentence on Monday, 26 October, and that the filmmaker had not been detained then. He said the ruling could be appealed. [1]
Panahi’s It Was Just an Accident won the Palme d’Or at Cannes in 2025. He has continued making films despite earlier imprisonment and restrictions imposed by Iranian authorities. [1][2]
Still unconfirmed
- The precise charges and full written judgment were not available in the checked reports. Any later detention or appeal outcome remains unconfirmed.
Sources
References support the numbered facts above. Source checks: 29 Oct 2026, 02:05 UTC.
The written judgment and original Emtedad interview were not retrieved. Separately owned AP and Screen reports were checked; AP also interviewed Razzagh directly. The sentence and restrictions are attributed to those accounts, and unresolved charges, detention and appeal details remain explicit unknowns.
- Iran sentences acclaimed director to new prison term
The Associated Press · Reporting · 28 Oct 2026
Includes AP’s separate telephone interview with Razzagh. Nili’s statement is reported through Emtedad.
- Jafar Panahi faces five-year prison sentence in Iran
Screen International · Reporting · 28 Oct 2026
Separately owned trade publication. Both reports draw on Nili’s account; the written judgment itself was not retrieved.