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The case will be heard on Wednesday by the Tehran Revolutionary Court. It comes after Panahi returned to Iran on March 30.
Iranian filmmaker and Oscar-nominated director Jafar Panahi. (File image: Getty Images via AFP)
Iranian filmmaker and Oscar-nominated director Jafar Panahi is set to appear before a court in Tehran this week over charges of “propaganda” against the state, Iranian media reported on Monday.
The case will be heard on Wednesday by the Tehran Revolutionary Court, according to the ISNA news agency. It comes after Panahi returned to Iran on March 30.
Panahi, who won the Palme d’Or at last year’s Cannes Film Festival and was also nominated for an Oscar for his film ‘It Was Just an Accident‘, had been sentenced in absentia in December. He received a one-year prison term and a two-year travel ban on charges linked to alleged propaganda against Iran’s clerical leadership.
His lawyers have appealed against the sentence, leading to the new court hearing.
The ISNA report said the session will be overseen by Judge Iman Afshari, who has previously handled cases involving political dissidents. Afshari has also been sanctioned by the European Union over judicial actions seen as harsh by rights groups.
The hearing comes as the Cannes Film Festival is underway in France, where Panahi’s work has continued to receive international attention.
It is not yet clear whether the director will attend the court in person. He has not posted on his public Instagram account since February.
Panahi has faced legal pressure in Iran before and has previously served prison terms. Despite this, he has repeatedly said he considers Iran his home and has insisted he would return, even while aware of possible legal consequences.
His latest film, ‘It Was Just an Accident‘, is a politically charged drama in which several characters confront a man they believe tortured them in prison. The story is widely seen as reflecting Panahi’s own experiences of detention.
The director had been outspoken during January’s anti-government unrest and has been among the prominent Iranian voices criticising state actions.
In an interview with AFP in February, Panahi had said he believed the government had lost legitimacy, but added that he still intended to return to Iran, saying, “It is my home.”
(With inputs from AFP)
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