French Minister Supports Iranian Filmmaker's Freedom Plea
(MENAFN) Iran has called in the French charge d’affaires in Tehran after a senior French minister expressed endorsement for an acclaimed Iranian filmmaker's "call for freedom."
The situation unfolded in the wake of the Cannes Film Festival, where filmmaker Jafar Panahi, known for his critical stance toward the Iranian government, was honored with the Palme d’Or for his film It Was Only an Accident.
Panahi’s acceptance speech stirred significant controversy back home. He urged fellow Iranians to stand together in pursuit of liberty, a statement that provoked strong condemnation from Iranian state-linked outlets.
“What’s most important now is our country and the freedom of our country,” he declared. “Let us join forces. No one should dare tell us what kind of clothes we should wear, what we should do, or what we should not do.”
Iranian government-aligned media outlets responded with fierce criticism.
The Fars News Agency, which has ties to the state, alleged that Panahi's Palme d’Or win was driven by “political motives.” Meanwhile, the Student News Network went as far as to brand him “a traitorous agent who sold out his country.”
Adding to the tension, Jean-Noel Barrot, France’s Minister for Digital Affairs, publicly showed solidarity with Panahi’s stance.
“Jafar Panahi has been awarded the Palme d’Or as a symbol of resistance against the oppression of the Iranian regime—reigniting hope for freedom fighters everywhere,” he wrote on X.
In retaliation, Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the French diplomatic representative and condemned Barrot’s statement as “a clear interference in Iran’s internal affairs,” marking a fresh chapter of strain in Franco-Iranian relations.
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