تیم برتون در افتتاحیه جشن واره کن خواستار ازادی جعفر ‍‍‍‍پناهي شد

CANNES, May 12, 2010 (AFP) - US film-maker Tim Burton, who this year heads the Cannes film festival jury, on Wednesday called for the release of jailed Iranian director Jafar Panahi. Asked at a news conference whether Panahi should be released from jail in Iran, Burton replied, "Yes, of course." "All of us are for freedom of expression," Burton added. "We fight for that every day and in our lives. "So of course one should be free to express oneself." Earlier Wednesday, France called on Iran to release the film-maker and allow him to take his seat as a member of the jury at the Cannes film festival. "He is one of the most eminent representatives of Iranian film and his place is at the festival where he has been invited as a member of the jury," said Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand in a joint statement. Panahi, 49, has been held in Tehran's notorious Evin prison since March 1, when he was arrested by Iranian authorities, reportedly because he was making a film about the disputed 2009 presidential election