Last May, director Jafar Panahi won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival for his film "A Simple Accident." Today, in his home country of Iran, the 65-year-old filmmaker was sentenced in absentia to one year in prison on the charge of "propagandistic activity" against the state.
Panahi has been imprisoned twice before in Iran. The latest ruling not only imposes a one-year jail term but also includes a two-year ban on leaving the country. He intends to appeal the decision.
Sources: ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ, AFP
