Thaindian News

May 26, 2010 (Sampurn Wire): Iranian director, Jafar Panahi, who was in custody for more than two months, has been released on bail of about $200000.

In March, Panahi was taken from his home along with his wife, daughter and fifteen of his friends by plainclothes officers to Evin Prison in Tehran. Most of the people taken by police were released after 48 hours but Panahi remained in jail.

Last month, Iranian culture minister Mohammad Hosseini had said that Panahi was detained for making an “anti-regime” film about the unrest. Panahi was arrested once earlier also and banned from leaving the country for taking part in a memorial service for Neda Agha-Soltan, the young woman, who was allegedly shot dead by a government militiaman during post-election protests.

Panahi was nominated as a judge in the recently held “Cannes Film Festival’ but his chair was symbolically kept empty as he could not attend the festival. Pleas for his release had been voiced at a festival news conference by Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami and film’s star Juliette Binoche, who, remarked that Panahi’s only offense was being an artist. Moreover, a number of American film directors and actors like Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, and Robert De Niro signed a letter on 30th April 2010 urging his release.

Panahi is considered as one of the most influential filmmakers in the Iranian New Wave movement. His first film The White Balloon, won Cannes’ Camera d’Or award in 1995. He won numerous other awards including the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival for The Circle, and the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival for Offside in 2006.

-Sampurn Wire