Iran summons French envoy over 'insulting' Cannes remarks

Iran summoned France's envoy in Tehran to protest against "insulting" remarks made by the French foreign minister after an Iranian filmmaker won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival.

Iranian director Jafar Panahi won the prestigious Palme d'Or for his film It Was Just an Accident on Saturday, a political drama inspired by his time in prison.

Following the win, French foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot said Panahi's win was "a gesture of resistance against the Iranian regime's oppression".

This sparked a diplomatic row, with Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Mohammad Tanhaei calling the comments "insulting remarks and unfounded allegations", state media reported.

During the meeting with the French envoy, Tanhaei called Barrot's comments "blatant interference" in the country's internal affairs, according to the same report from Iran's PressTV

He described the congratulatory message as "irresponsible and provocative", adding that France had "no moral authority at all" to comment on Iran, citing what he called France's failure to support Palestinians in Gaza.

He demanded an official explanation from the French government, and the envoy said he would relay the message to Paris.

Panahi has been in and out of prison in recent years for his outspoken criticism of the Iranian establishment.

He spent seven months of a six-year sentence in jail before being released in February 2023.

He had previously been sentenced to six years in 2010 for supporting anti-government protests and creating "propaganda against the system", serving two months on that occasion.

As well as his jail terms, he was given a 20-year ban on making movies and travelling outside his own country.

Despite this, he filmed It Was Just An Accident, in secret in Iran.

The film follows five ordinary Iranians as they confront a man they believe tortured them in jail — characters drawn from conversations Panahi had with fellow inmates about "the violence and brutality of the Iranian government".

During his acceptance speech, he urged fellow Iranians to "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."

Soon after the ceremony, his first appearance at an international film festival in 15 years, he told reporters he would be returning to Tehran.

"As soon as I finish my work here I will go back to Iran," he told reporters in Cannes. "And I will ask myself what's my next film going to be."