‘It Was Just An Accident’ director Jafar Panahi receives appeal date for Iranian prison sentence
Director Jafar Panahi has received his appeal date after being sentenced last month for “propaganda activities against the regime” by the Tehran Revolutionary Court.
Panahi, who won the Palme d’Or in 2025 for his latest movie, It Was Just An Accident, was sentenced on December 1st, receiving a one-year prison sentence in absentia as well as a two-year travel ban.
Additionally, Panahi, a vocal critic of the Iranian regime, has also been banned from membership in political groups.
In an update on the case, his lawyer, Mostafa Nili, took to social media on January 2nd to write, “After appealing against the one-year prison sentence for propaganda activities against the regime of Mr. Jafar Panahi, Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court has set the hearing date for January 4, 2026.”
Panahi was previously imprisoned in 2022 at Iran’s Evin prison after making enquiries regarding the arrests of fellow Iranian director, Mohammad Rasoulof, for protesting. Panahi was eventually released in 2023 after going on a hunger strike.
He was also handed a six-year sentence in 2010 for anti-government activity, but it wasn’t enforced and no prison time was spent.
Earlier this week, Panahi took to Instagram to comment upon the ongoing protests in Iran, writing, “When there is nothing left to lose, fear falls away. Voices unite, the silence is broken, and there is no way back.”
He also wrote, “This uprising is willpower that has decided to stay, to move forward, and to move history forward.”
In addition to winning the coveted Palme D’or at Cannes, It Was Just An Accident is also nominated for four Golden Globes, including ‘Best Drama – Motion Picture’ and ‘Best Director – Motion Picture’.
The film has been submitted by France in the ‘Best International Film’ category at the Academy Awards, with nominations set to be revealed on January 22nd, 2026.
Never Miss A Scene
The Far Out Film Newsletter
All the latest film news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.