Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi intends to return to Iran once the Oscar campaign for his latest film concludes, even as authorities prepare to enforce a one-year prison sentence amid a deadly crackdown on nationwide anti-government protests.
Sentencing and Return Pledge
Panahi, currently abroad to promote It Was Just An Accident, received the sentence in absentia in December 2025 for propaganda activities against the state. His lawyer, Mostafa Nili, confirmed the ruling includes a two-year travel ban and restrictions on joining political or social groups. An appeal is underway.
“I have been outside Iran for some time because of the Oscar campaign for this film, but as I have said before, as soon as the campaign ends, I will return to Iran,” Panahi stated Thursday in an interview with Radio Atlantic.
Support for Protests
Panahi joined 16 other activists, artists, lawyers, and journalists in a January statement on X backing the protests. Shared by imprisoned 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, the message declares: “The great movement of civil resistance by the people of Iran, by taking over the streets, is proclaiming the national will to remove the illegitimate regime of the Islamic Republic.”
“We stand with the people to reclaim the right to a dignified life, freedom, justice, human dignity and sovereignty over our own destiny,” it adds.
Film’s Acclaim and Inspiration
Shot secretly in Iran without permission, It Was Just An Accident earned Oscar nominations for best international feature and best original screenplay ahead of the 98th Academy Awards on March 15. The film previously secured the Palme d’Or at Cannes and top honors at the Gotham Awards, including best director and screenplay.
The narrative draws from Panahi’s two imprisonments on propaganda charges and encounters with fellow inmates at Tehran’s Evin Prison. Panahi describes himself as a socially engaged filmmaker rather than a political one.
Detentions of Collaborators
Co-writer Mehdi Mahmoudian, whom Panahi met in prison in 2022, was arrested on January 31 after signing the statement. Mahmoudian’s family received a brief call confirming he was alive before the line cut off. Freelance journalist Vida Rabbani, another signatory and former prisoner, began a hunger strike on February 5 to protest her detention, according to the Center for Human Rights in Iran. Both have faced repeated targeting, reports the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Narges Mohammadi’s ordeal
The Norwegian Nobel Committee demands Mohammadi’s immediate release, citing reports of brutal arrest tactics including beatings with sticks, dragging by the hair, and kicks to sensitive areas. Security agents allegedly formed a “tunnel” to assault her, causing scalp wounds and mobility issues.
Nili, her lawyer, notes an additional sentence of over seven years for gathering and collusion, plus 1.5 years for propaganda and a two-year travel ban. Mohammadi endures interrogations, fainting spells, high blood pressure, and denied care for possible breast tumors despite prior medical furlough.
Protest Crackdown Toll
Activists report the death toll from last month’s protests exceeds 7,005, with 11,730 cases pending verification, per the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency. Injuries number 25,845, and arrests hit 53,166. Among the dead, 6,506 were protesters—including 219 children—214 security forces, and 66 civilians.
Communication challenges persist inside Iran, where officials last reported 3,117 deaths on January 21. The surge heightens domestic and international pressures amid nuclear talks with the United States.
