Jafar Panahi says he will return to Iran despite looming arrest

Filmmaker Jafar Panahi says he plans to return to Iran after the Oscar season, despite being sentenced in absentia in December 2025 to one year in prison and a two-year travel ban; his lawyer says they will appeal.

Iranian director Jafar Panahi says he will return to Iran after the Oscar season is over, even though he was reportedly sentenced in absentia in December 2025. He has been abroad promoting his film It Was Just An Accident, which won the Palme d'Or and received two Oscar nominations. Reports say the sentence includes one year in prison and a two-year ban on leaving Iran, along with restrictions on joining political or social groups. Panahi's lawyer, Mostafa Nili, said they will file an appeal. Key facts: - Panahi was reportedly sentenced in absentia in December 2025 to one year in prison and a two-year travel ban, according to reports. - He says he will return to Iran after the Oscar campaign for It Was Just An Accident ends. - His lawyer has stated they will appeal the sentence. - The film won the Palme d'Or, received two Oscar nominations, and the Academy Awards are scheduled for March 15, 2026. Summary: Officials have announced Panahi's in-absentia sentence; he is currently abroad promoting his film; his legal team says they will appeal. Undetermined at this time whether Iranian authorities will detain him on return.