In the days since the war in the Middle East began, there have been some glimmers of hope among Iranians, particularly after news broke that the strikes had killed Iran’s hard-line Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who ruled the country with an iron grip for 36 years. The news made Panahi immediately worry for the safety of the prisoners, including the “large number” of those who were detained after the recent protests and those who “have been incarcerated for many years.” In December, the government sentenced him “in absentia, to one year of imprisonment, two years of prohibition from leaving the country, and a ban on membership in any political or social groups or organizations, on the charge of propaganda against the regime,” his lawyer said in a statement on X.
Author: Rebecca Keegan
Published at: 2026-03-03 23:40:01
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