An Oscar-nominated Syrian producer has been denied entry into the US to attend the awards ceremony.
Kareem Abeed forms one half of the Syrian directing-producing team who worked on Last Men in Aleppo, a documentary feature filmed in the Syrian city.
It sheds light on the work of the White Helmets, a group of volunteers, who respond to military and air strikes and help to evacuate civilians from danger areas.
But Abeed will be unable to attend the ceremony after his visa application was rejected.
The refusal was reportedly issued under Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, according to the International Documentary Association.
The legislation allows the US President to suspend certain groups from entry into the US or place restrictions on their travel if their presence would be “detrimental” to America's interest.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences expressed “solidarity” with the producer.
“For 90 years, the Oscars have celebrated achievement in the art of filmmaking, which seeks to transcend borders and speak to audiences around the world, regardless of national, ethnic, or religious differences,” its board said in a statement.
“As supporters of filmmakers — and the human rights of all people — around the globe, we stand in solidarity with Fayyad (film’s director) as well as the film’s producer, who was denied a visa to the United States to attend the Academy Awards on 4 March.”
It comes as the US Supreme Court agreed to rule on the legality of the latest version of Donald Trump’s travel ban, which affects residents from six countries - Chad, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen.
Mr Trump has claimed the restrictions are necessary for US security. Opponents have claimed the ban illegally targets people from Muslim countries.
