Jafar Panahi is a prominent dissident Iranian author who is known for his award-winning works such as “The Circle,” “Offside,” “This is Not a Film,”2015 Berlin Golden Bear Winner “Taxi,”Agence France Press reports that he has been detained in Tehran.
“Jafar Panahi has been arrested today [Monday] when he went to the prosecutor’s office to follow up on the situation of another film-maker, Mohammad Rasoulof,”AFP reported Mehr, an Iranian news agency.
Panahi’s arrest marks the third detention of an Iranian filmmaker in less than a week, coming after the recent arrests of Rasoulof and fellow filmmaker Mostafa Al-Ahmad, which took place over the weekend and were allegedly prompted by the directors posting a statement on social media in the wake of a violent government crackdown.
Panahi, who is considered among Iranian cinema’s greatest living masters, has won multiple festival awards, including the Venice Golden Lion in 2000 for “The Circle,”Cannes Un Certain Regard Jury prize. “Crimson Gold”2003 was a notable year for the award. “Closed Curtain,”It competed in Berlin 2013 and won the screenplay prize that year.
Panahi was repeatedly placed under house arrest or in jail on vague charges during his distinguished career. “propaganda against the system,”Along with Rasoulof. Panahi is also prohibited from making films, writing scripts, or giving interviews.
In the past decades under the country’s Islamic government, many Iranian directors and actors have been arrested and accused of propaganda. Many were arrested and detained, or prohibited from leaving the country.
The climate was better in 2014 under Hassan Rouhani’s more progressive presidency, but the current I have seen a more conservative backlash.Ranian government, led by hard-liner Ebrahim Raisi was elected to office in August 2021.