Why was Jafar Panahi banned? How long was Jafar Panahi banned?

Jafar Panahi, an Iranian film director who has faced several limitations from the government, was banned for “making propaganda against the system.” According to the authorities, Panahi was arrested because “he tried to make a documentary about the unrest that followed the disputed 2009 reelection of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.”

Even though he was facing severe threats from the government and banned from making films, he still managed to produce a few popular movies in the past decade. Some of these movies include; This Is Not A Film, No Bears, Closed Curtain, Taxi, Three Faces, and more.

He was arrested on March 1, 2010, along with his wife and daughter, but the women were released after a few days. He remained in section 209 inside Evin Prison until May 25, 2010, when he was released on $200,000 bail while awaiting trial.

He was convicted of “assembly and colluding with the intention to commit crimes against the country’s national security and propaganda against the Islamic Republic,” on December 20, 2010.

On April 25, 2023, his wife Tahereh Saeedi posted a picture of them at an undisclosed airport with the caption that translates into English;

“After 14 years, Jafar’s ban was canceled and finally we are going to travel together for a few days.”