Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi sentenced to five years in prison, banned from travel and Social Media

TEHRAN: Jafar Panahi, a well-known filmmaker of Iran, has been sentenced to five years in prison on charges of criticising the government and acting against the state system.

According to international media reports, the court has also ordered the seizure of some of his assets along with the prison term.

He has also been banned from using Social Media and travelling abroad for two years.

Jafar Panahi has criticised the policies of the Iranian government for a long time. His films have highlighted subjects such as Iranian society, government actions and civil liberties.

In 2010, too, an Iranian court had sentenced him. He was banned from making films and directing for 20 years. Restrictions were also placed on foreign travel and contact with the media.

Jafar Panahi is counted among the prominent filmmakers of Iran, and his films have won acclaim worldwide.

The recent court decision against him has once again brought the debate on freedom of expression and restrictions on artists in Iran into focus.