IRANIAN FILMMAKER JAFAR PANAHI has been jailed on a charge of propaganda against the Iranian system and sentenced to six years, the BBC reports.

An outspoken supporter of Iran’s opposition movement, Panahi has also been banned from making films, writing scripts, leaving the country or talking to the media for 20 years.

His lawyer said he will be appealing the sentence.

Mohammad Rasulov, another Iranian filmmaker, will also be jailed for six years on similar charges.

Panahi had been detained for three months earlier in the year and was released on bail after going on hunger strike to protest the detention.

The Berlin Film Festival has asked Panahi to serve on its jury in February, and the Cannes Festival invited Panahi onto their jury in May, during his previous detention, according to the AFP. He was banned from leaving Iran to attend the Berlin festival last year and the Venice film festival in September.

An online petition has been launched to press the Iranian authorities to release Panahi. He won the Camera d’Or award at the 1995 Cannes festival and the Golden Lion prize at the 2000 Venice festival. The Guardian lists Steven Spielberg, Juliette Binoche and Martin Scorsese among his supporters.