New Delhi, June 7 -- Tehran's Revolutionary Court has upheld a one-year prison sentence imposed on renowned Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, rejecting his appeal against a conviction linked to allegations of propaganda activities against the Iranian state.

The decision marks the latest development in the long-running legal and political challenges faced by the award-winning director, whose work has earned international acclaim while frequently drawing scrutiny from Iranian authorities.

According to reports from Tehran, Panahi's lawyer, Mostafa Nili, announced during a press briefing on Sunday that the court had rejected the filmmaker's appeal against the sentence handed down in December. Panahi had been sentenced in absentia after being ...