An Iranian court has sentenced acclaimed film director Jafar Panahi to five years and one month in prison and ordered the confiscation of all his assets, his lawyer Mostafa Nili said. The ruling was issued in absentia, with Panahi currently not in custody, according to a close associate who spoke with him after the verdict was announced. In addition to the prison term, the court imposed a two-year travel ban and barred him from using social media for the same period.

Panahi, 66, who won the Palme d’Or at Cannes last year for his film *It Was Just an Accident*, returned to Iran in March after traveling abroad to promote the movie. This came despite his prior in absentia sentencing last year to one year in prison on charges of “propaganda activities against the system.” The specific charges related to the latest sentence have not been disclosed. According to Nili, Panahi currently faces three open legal cases and was unaware of the most recent hearing until his bank accounts were frozen last week.

Human rights lawyer Moein Khazaeli from the Dadban legal counselling centre for Iranian activists suggested that the asset seizure may violate Iran’s constitution unless the authorities can demonstrate a clear legal connection between the property and an alleged crime.

Panahi has been vocal in his criticism of the Iranian government, particularly concerning ongoing unrest. While in the United States earlier this year, he warned of a continuing “cycle of violence” in Iran driven by state actions. His films have often reflected the struggles and turbulence facing the country.

The announcement of Panahi’s sentence has drawn concern from artists and activists both inside and outside Iran. Actor Setareh Maleki, who fled Iran following her role in the Oscar-nominated film *The Seed of the Sacred Fig*, described the ruling as indicative of the regime’s fear of losing control over storytelling that reaches an international audience. Inside Iran, a filmmaker working covertly praised Panahi for his refusal to remain silent and highlighted his support for unity during the January protests, including backing for diverse groups such as supporters of Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s former shah.

Iranian-British actor Nazanin Boniadi condemned the court’s decision, calling Panahi’s punishment “a draconian prison sentence” that seeks to silence a courageous artist exposing repression in Iran.

The sentencing of Panahi comes amid a broader crackdown on cultural figures in Iran. A recent report by the Center for Human Rights in Iran, a US-based organization, warned that authorities are increasingly targeting artists, writers, musicians, and other creative voices, subjecting them to the same security and judicial measures used against political dissenters.