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Iranian Filmmaker Released From Prison After Hunger Strike

Jafar Panahi, the director of multiple critically acclaimed films including “The White Balloon” and “Taxi,” was being held at Tehran’s infamous Evin Prison.

Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi has been released from Evin Prison in Tehran after beginning a hunger strike earlier this week. Panahi, who directed multiple award-winning films, including the The White Balloon and this year’s No Bears, was detained in July after visiting the infamous prison in search of other prominent filmmakers who had been arrested during a government crackdown. In October, Panahi’s lawyer, Saleh Nikbakht, successfully argued that the charges against him, which stemmed from his attendance at the funeral of a student killed during the 2009 Green Revolution against then-President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, had passed the statute of limitations and were no longer valid. Filmmakers across the world celebrated Panahi’s freedom, though Nikbakht said the decision should have come earlier. “Although I am happy about Mr. Panahi’s release, it must be said that his release should have taken place three months ago, following the acceptance of our objection to his previous court decision,” Nikhbakht said.