Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi has been sentenced to a year in prison by an Iranian court, alongside a travel ban, for allegedly producing propaganda against the political system. The ruling came as Panahi’s latest film, It Was Just an Accident , was being celebrated at a major awards ceremony in the United States. Panahi, 65, was in New York when the verdict was delivered, attending the Gotham Awards where his film won three honours, including the best director.

The movie, which was secretly filmed in Iran despite a state ban on his filmmaking activities, has also been selected as France’s official entry for the upcoming Academy Awards in the International Feature Film category.

According to The Guardian, Panahi’s sentencing comes after years of tension with Iranian authorities. His

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