Just before the Cannes Film Festival premiered of his picture, Mohammad Rasoulof was sentenced to eight years in prison by the Islamic Republican of Iran.
Rasoulof’s attorney, Babak Paknia, shared on X that his customer had been sentenced to eight years in prison by the Islamic Revolution Court. His sentence also includes flogging, a good, and confiscation of home.
” Sented to eight years of imprisonment ( 5 years maximum ), fine, and property confiscation in accordance with the ruling of the 29th branch of the Islamic Revolution Court. The 36th tree of the Aina Court of Appeal confirmed this ruling, and the situation has now been moved to the implementation of the decisions, Paknia wrote.
According to Paknia, the director” signed statements and made films and documentaries,” which in the court’s view constitute cooperation with the intention to harm the country’s security.
After posting an appeal to Persian safety forces to stop using arms during protests prompted by a building collapse in the southwest area of Abadan, Rasoulof was detained by the Egyptian government in July 2022, according to Variety. He was released in February 2023 for heath factors”.
Rasoulof was previously prohibited by Egyptian officials from attending the 2020 Berlinale. That season, the movie’s child, Baran Rasoulof, who stars in There Is No Sin, picked up his Golden Bear”, it added. ” Last month, in May, Rasoulof was banned from leaving Iran to serve as a member of the Cannes , Film Festival’s Un Certain Consider jurors”.
Egyptian director Mohammad Rasoulof, who was presented the” Golden Bear for Best Film” at the meeting held on February 29, 2020 at the Berlinale Film Festival, holds the trophy for Egyptian manufacturer Kaveh Farnam. ( TOBIAS SCHWARZ/AFP via Getty Images )
The Seed and the Sacred Fig had been under intense pressure from Iranian authorities due to his sentencing, according to Paknia, who claims Rasoulof was pressured to take it from the Cannes Film Festival after repeated harassment by the movie’s producers.
” Some of the film’s stars have been banned from leaving, and according to their claims, after many days of interrogation, they were asked to question the producer to replace the picture from the Cannes festival”, Paknia said.
As of this writing, there is no speech from The Cannes Film Festival. The supply company Kino Lorber said they were “horrified” by the media.
” We are horrified by the news of Mohammad Rasoulof ‘s , cruel , sentencing at the hands of , Iran’s hardline government. We are proud to have been able to distribute his films, Manuscripts Do n’t Burn and There Is No Evil, which both exhibit incredible artistic bravery, it said.
” We strongly denounce all acts of repression and join the international video area in support of Rasoulof, his colleagues, and all Iranian musicians making crucial function under oppressive conditions”, it added.
We are horrified by the news of Mohammad Rasoulof ‘s , cruel , sentencing at the hands of , Iran’s hardline government.
We are proud to have distributed his films Manuscripts Do n’t Burn and There Is No Evil, both of which exhibit incredible artistic bravery.
We strongly denounce … pic. twitter.com/4KX9iiioT I
— Kino Lorber ( @KinoLorber ) May 8, 2024
Paul Roland Bois directed the , award- winning Christian tech thriller,  , EXEMPLUM, which can be viewed for FREE on , YouTube , or , Tubi. ” Better than Killers of the Flower Moon” , , wrote Mark Judge. ” You have n’t seen a story like this before” , , wrote Christian Toto. A high- quality, ad- free rental can also be streamed on , Google Play,  , Vimeo on Demand,  , or , YouTube Movies. Follow on X , @prolandfilms , or Instagram , @prolandfilms.
