Film director Jafar Panahi, who has been on hunger strike for more than a week, has been released on bail of 2 billion rials (about $200,000) on Tuesday.

According to the official IRNA news agency Panahi was arrested in March along with his wife and daughter. His family was later released, while the director was kept in prison.

He has been held at Tehran's Evin jail, where human rights groups say many political prisoners are detained.

From prison he sent a letter to Cannes Film Festival, which he had not been able to attend and immediately received support from the stars at the Croisette.