The Iranian director of an Oscar-winning film, who refused to attend the awards ceremony, has condemned Donald Trump's "inhumane" travel ban in a powerful acceptance speech. 

In the speech, read on his behalf at the awards in Los Angeles last night, filmmaker Asghar Farhadi said his absence was “out of respect" for people from Iran and the six other Muslim-majority countries affected by the president's ban, which even bars refugees from entering America. 

Mr Farhadi, whose film The Salesman won the best foreign language Oscar, accused the US president of “dividing the world into the ‘us’ and ‘our enemies’ categories”. 

His speech was read by Iranian-American engineer Anousheh Ansari, who became the first Iranian in space in 2006 when she paid to fly to the International Space Station. 

Firouz Naderi, a former Nasa director and fellow Iranian, stood beside her in solidarity as she collected the award. 

Mr Trump’s executive order on immigration, which he signed last month, barred immigrants and refugees from Iran, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen from entering the United States.  The directive was halted earlier this month after a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order. 

The Salesman, which premiered at Cannes last May, follows a couple in Tehran involved in an amateur dramatic production of Arthur Miller’s play of the same name, who are forced to move apartments following an earthquake. 

The award last night was Mr Farhadi's second best foreign language Oscar, he also won with his film A Separation in 2012. 

Oscars 2017: Best dressed on the red carpet Show all 25 1 /25 Oscars 2017: Best dressed on the red carpet Oscars 2017: Best dressed on the red carpet Hailee Steinfeld Getty Images Oscars 2017: Best dressed on the red carpet Taraji P. Henson Getty Images Oscars 2017: Best dressed on the red carpet Chrissy Teigen Getty Images Oscars 2017: Best dressed on the red carpet Ruth Negga Reuters Oscars 2017: Best dressed on the red carpet Dev Patel PA Oscars 2017: Best dressed on the red carpet Karlie Kloss Getty Images Oscars 2017: Best dressed on the red carpet Emma Roberts Getty Images Oscars 2017: Best dressed on the red carpet Riz Ahmed Oscars 2017: Best dressed on the red carpet Felicity Jones AFP/Getty Images Oscars 2017: Best dressed on the red carpet Isabelle Huppert AFP/Getty Images Oscars 2017: Best dressed on the red carpet Octavia Spencer Oscars 2017: Best dressed on the red carpet Mahershala Ali Rex Features Oscars 2017: Best dressed on the red carpet Michelle Williams Getty Images Oscars 2017: Best dressed on the red carpet Naomie Harris AFP/Getty Images Oscars 2017: Best dressed on the red carpet Scarlett Johansson Getty Images Oscars 2017: Best dressed on the red carpet Ryan Gosling Getty Images Oscars 2017: Best dressed on the red carpet Viola Davis Getty Images Oscars 2017: Best dressed on the red carpet Charlize Theron Getty Images Oscars 2017: Best dressed on the red carpet Dakota Johnson REUTERS Oscars 2017: Best dressed on the red carpet Chris Evans Oscars 2017: Best dressed on the red carpet Brie Larson Oscars 2017: Best dressed on the red carpet Jamie Dornan and Amelia Warner REUTERS Oscars 2017: Best dressed on the red carpet Sofia Boutella PA Oscars 2017: Best dressed on the red carpet Pharrell Williams Rex Features Oscars 2017: Best dressed on the red carpet Kirsten Dunst Getty Images

Here’s Mr Farhadi's speech in full: “It’s a great honour to be receiving this valuable award for the second time.  I would like to thank the members of the Academy, my crew in Iran, my producer Alexandre Mallet-Guy, Cohen media, Amazon, and my fellow nominees in the foreign film category.  I’m sorry I’m not with you tonight.  My absence is out of respect for the people in my country and those of other six nations whom have been disrespected by the inhumane law that bans entry of immigrants to the US.