Renowned Iranian filmmaker sentenced to 6 years and banned to make films
A celebrated Iranian filmmaker and opposition supporter has been sentenced to six years in prison and barred from making films or participating in political activity for two decades, his lawyer said Monday.
Jafar Panahi, 50, is the director of internationally renowned Iranian art films such as "The Circle" and "Crimson Gold," which delved into Iran’s complex social problems. He was a supporter of the protest movement that sprang to life after the disputed 2009 reelection of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He was arrested in March on charges of conspiring to make an unauthorized movie that chronicled the movement and released on bail 12 weeks later pending his sentencing.