Clenched Against Jafar Panahi, The Director They're Imprisoning For 6 Years And Banning From Film-Making

Iran Rejects Jafar Panahi’s Appeal:

A court in Tehran has rejected Jafar Panahi’s attempt to appeal his prison sentence for allegedly making propaganda films against the Iranian government. The court confirmed the original sentence handed Panahi in December last year: a six-year prison term and a 20-year-ban from making films. But Panahi has not given up yet. The director’s lawyer told Iranian Student News Agency Isna he would appeal the ruling to Iran’s supreme court. Panahi is one of Iran’s most acclaimed film directors, having won honors in the Berlin, Cannes and Venice Film Festivals. His features - such as The Mirror (1997), The Circle (2000) and Offside (2006) – are not overtly political but in their depiction of ordinary life in Iran can be viewed as subtle critiques of the Islamic regime. Panahi came in direct conflict with the Iranian government after the country’s presidential elections in 2009, when the director accused president Mahmud Ahmadinedschad of faking the election results. He was arrested and charged together with director collegue Mohammad Rasoulof.

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