Panahi’s career has long been shaped by confrontation with Iranian authorities. He has faced imprisonment and travel bans, yet continued to produce films—often under severe constraints—earning him global recognition as a leading voice of dissent in contemporary cinema.

Iran has sentenced Palme d’Or-winning filmmaker Jafar Panahi to one year in prison and imposed a two-year travel ban, convicting him in absentia for “propaganda activities” against the state, his lawyer said on Monday. Panahi, 65, is currently outside Iran.

Panahi, acclaimed globally for his courageous filmmaking, has earned top accolades from the world’s three major film festivals: the Palme d’Or at Cannes this year for “It Was Just an Accident”, the Golden Lion at Venice for “The Circle” (2002), and the Golden Bear at Berlin for “Taxi” (2015).