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French Culture Minister Condemns Iranian Filmmaker's Jail Sentence

Panahi has reportedly been jailed for six years
France's Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand has criticized Iran over the jailing of filmmaker and opposition supporter Jafar Panahi, who has reportedly been sentenced to six years in prison and banned from making movies or traveling abroad for 20 years.

Mitterrand calls the sentence a "pseudo-judgment" that prevents Panahi from expressing his talent. The French minister added that the sentence is an "unacceptable attack" on Panahi's freedom of expression, and called for the release of the filmmaker.

Panahi, the winner of many international awards and a supporter of opposition leader Mir Hossein Musavi in Iran's 2009 disputed presidential election, has been accused by Iranian authorities of working against the ruling system.

His lawyer has said she plans to appeal the sentence.

compiled from agency reports