Roozbeh Parsi, head of the Middle East and North Africa Program at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs (UI), has stepped down following the conclusion of an internal investigation into his alleged links to an Iranian influence network.
The award for his film It Was Just an Accident, hailed as a milestone for Iranian cinema and a symbolic victory for freedom of expression, also sparked harsh criticism from pro-government media in Iran.
Panahi, a former political prisoner banned from travel and filmmaking for over a decade, received a standing ovation at the award ceremony.
The Palme d'Or was presented by acclaimed actress Cate Blanchett on Saturday night. In his acceptance speech, Panahi struck a unifying tone, calling on Iranians inside and outside the country to "set aside our differences" and work collectively toward democracy, dignity and human rights.
“Let no one tell us what to wear, what to do or what films to make,” he said, drawing repeated applause from the audience.
The moment was described by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot as a "symbolic act of resistance" against repression. “Jafar Panahi’s Palme d’Or revives hope for freedom fighters around the world,” Barrot wrote on X.
A national and global moment
The win drew emotional reactions from across Iranian political and artistic figures at home and abroad.
Nobel Peace Laureate Narges Mohammadi, writing from inside Iran, described Panahi as a “brave and distinguished director” whose recognition was the result of years of relentless effort to deepen human and civil values through art.
Prince Reza Pahlavi, the exiled heir to Iran’s former monarchy, congratulated Panahi and called the award a “great honor for Iran.” He expressed hope that Iranian filmmakers could one day work “without censorship or restriction” in their homeland.
Iranian activist Hamed Esmaeilion called Panahi a “true hero,” praising his resilience in the face of censorship and repression. “His courage inspires all who fight for justice and freedom,” he said.
Political prisoner Mehdi Mahmoudian, speaking from Tehran’s Evin Prison, said the award was “not just a cinematic honor, but a victory of truth over censorship.”
Iranian-British actress Nazanin Boniadi also praised Panahi’s speech, calling him a “unifying voice” at a time when Iranians are searching for solidarity and vision.
The wave of celebration was echoed by 135 civil, political, and cultural activists, who issued a joint statement lauding Panahi as a symbol of artistic integrity and human rights advocacy.
The statement said that Panahi had joined a rare class of filmmakers alongside legends like Michelangelo Antonioni and Robert Altman—to win all three major European film prizes: the Golden Bear (Berlin), Golden Lion (Venice), and now the Palme d’Or (Cannes).
Film made in defiance
It Was Just an Accident, a political thriller, was shot clandestinely in Iran without government authorization and in open defiance of mandatory hijab laws.
The film’s production and Panahi’s public defiance of censorship laws have drawn admiration from international film communities and rights groups.
The Cannes jury also awarded Panahi the Festival’s Citizenship Prize, recognizing his broader contributions to freedom of expression.
An increasing number of Iranian filmmakers are defying the country's strict ideological censorship by making movies without seeking the Culture Ministry's permission for screening abroad.
Last year, prominent Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi said he will not produce any films in Iran until the ban on showing women without headscarves is lifted, as people demand.
Official backlash in Tehran
Inside Iran, however, the award was met with either silence or anger from state-linked outlets.
The conservative daily Farhikhtegan, affiliated with Islamic Azad University, dismissed the honor with the headline: “Palme d’Or Turns to Rust”.
The editorial accused European film festivals of orientalist bias and suggested that Panahi’s acclaim was driven by political motives rather than artistic merit.
The Student News Agency (SNN) went further, branding Panahi a “middleman” and “Iran-seller.” It called the ceremony a “political show” orchestrated by “PR marketers.”
Despite the criticism, Panahi’s victory has reignited conversations around freedom of expression, artistic resistance, and national unity among Iranians worldwide.
As he left the stage in Cannes, Panahi expressed a simple hope: “I dream of an Iran where artists are not silenced, where truth has no borders, and where no one lives in fear for telling a story.”
The investigation found no evidence that Parsi was involved in a state-directed influence campaign orchestrated by the Iranian government. However, it concluded that aspects of his conduct were incompatible with his role at UI, according to a TV4 report.
The inquiry determined that Parsi, an adjunct senior lecturer at Lund University, failed to adequately inform both his university and the UI about his involvement in the Iran-Europe Initiative (IEI), a network linked to the Iranian Foreign Ministry aimed at expanding the country’s influence in the West.
The TV4 report that prompted the investigation cited emails provided by Iran International and followed a 2023 joint exposé by Iran International and Semafor that detailed Tehran’s efforts to cultivate relationships with academics and analysts abroad to expand its influence.
Despite being cleared of formal allegations of collusion with Iran, Parsi received strong criticism for his lack of openness regarding his role in the IEI and contacts with Iranian government representatives, the TV4 report said.
The investigators concluded that this lack of transparency conflicted with the standards expected of a senior official at UI.
UI Director Jakob Hallgren said that the situation had become “untenable” and confirmed that Parsi would leave his post.
“This has been, as I think everyone understands, a very difficult and stressful time for him,” Hallgren said. “We have jointly decided that it is time for a fresh start so that we can focus on the pressing issues concerning the Middle East.”
Hallgren also expressed disappointment over having not been informed that Parsi was involved in running an organization promoting closer ties between Europe and countries like Iran. “As a leader at UI, one is expected to be transparent about such engagements."
Parsi has said that he was commissioned and funded by the British Foreign Office during his involvement in the IEI network in 2014–15. However, the investigation found his statement to be “misleading.”
According to the investigation, the IEI network was initially funded through an entity formed by Parsi called the European Iran Research Group (EIRG). “In 2014–15, EIRG received funding for this purpose from the Heinrich Böll Foundation, which is affiliated with the German Green Party,” the investigation said.
The EIRG was later renamed the European Middle East Research Group (EMERG) and received in total around 55,000 pounds from the British Foreign Ministry between 2017 and 2020, the investigation added, noting that the IEI’s contact with the Iranian officials continued in this period.
In a statement on X, Parsi confirmed he is leaving UI, and called the departure "incredibly sad."
"This investigation has been a great personal and professional strain. It was also preceded by a drive with a clearly political character in which influential people with great responsibility for the Swedish debate climate distorted the discussion," he said in his post in Swedish.
In 2023, the joint investigative report by Iran International and Semafor combed through thousands of emails from Iranian diplomats, revealing a network of academics and think tank analysts cultivated by Iran's foreign ministry to extend Tehran's soft power.
Members of the grouping, called the Iran Experts Initiative (IEI), were guided by Iran's Foreign Ministry in their public writing and media appearances. They were key voices in Western think tanks and policy institutions helping promote Iran's stances.
Parsi, listed in the leaked emails as an IEI member, attended its inaugural meeting in May 2014 at Vienna’s Palais Coburg hotel, coinciding with nuclear talks. Documents indicate that Iran’s foreign ministry covered the event’s costs.
While Parsi acknowledged his participation, he denied collaborating with Tehran.
