Award-winning Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof has reached Europe after being sentenced to eight years in prison, flogging, and confiscation of property by the Islamic Republic.
Rasoulof's lawyer, Babak Paknia, previously said that the charges stemmed from the director's films and his participation in a letter urging authorities to stop violence during protests over a deadly building collapse in 2022.
"I arrived in Europe a few days ago after a long and complicated journey," Rasoulof said in a statement dated Sunday.
Iranian authorities have yet to comment on the sentence or Rasoulof's departure.
The director's escape comes just days before the Cannes Film Festival, where his latest film is scheduled to premiere.
It remains unclear if he will be able to attend the festival.
This is not the first time Rasoulof's work has drawn the ire of Iranian authorities.
His films, which often explore social and political issues, have won him international acclaim but also landed him in trouble with the government.
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