An Iranian court hands Palme d'Or-winning director Jafar Panahi a new five-year jail term and orders all his assets seized

Iranian film director Jafar Panahi, 66, was sentenced in absentia by a Revolutionary Court to five years and one month in prison, with all his assets seized and a two-year travel and social media ban imposed. His lawyer Mostafa Nili says Panahi was not present at the hearing and only learned of the proceedings after his bank accounts were frozen last week.

Panahi currently faces three open legal cases and has not been detained despite the sentence.

Human rights lawyer Moein Khazaeli warned the asset seizure could violate Iran's constitution unless authorities establish a clear legal link between the property and any offence.

Panahi won the Palme d'Or at Cannes last year for 'It Was Just an Accident' and had returned to Iran in March despite a previous sentence for 'propaganda activities against the system'.