The victory for Asghar Farhadi’s film The Salesman at the Oscars on 26 February sent a strong message from Hollywood to US president Donald Trump, whose attempted travel ban caused the director to boycott the ceremony. Trump’s policy was felt by many to have triggered a rash of protest votes for the film – and it is the second time Iran, and Farhadi, have taken the prize this decade.

Such a triumph was proudly reported on back in Iran – but with a few changes. The Iranian Labor News Agency’s coverage of the win included censorship of the outfits worn by presenter Charlize Theron, and by Anousheh Ansari, the first Iranian in space, who accepted the award in lieu of Farhadi.

Asghar Farhadi's Oscar message looked down on Trump from outer space Read more

Theron’s gold lamé gown by Christian Dior initially has blurry black sleeves and a collar added to it to preserve her modesty – but such additions do not consistently move with the actor. Then the effect is swapped for a more general torso blur, which then transfers to Ansari’s upper body.

In 2006, Ansari, an engineer and businesswoman, became the first female tourist to visit the international space station.

The news clip was shared by My Stealthy Freedom, a lobbying organisation aiming to raise awareness of state rules in Iran which dictate that women should be flogged or imprisoned for failure to wear the hijab.

The founder of the group, Masih Alinejad, condemned the censorship on the organisation’s Facebook page. “Another typical example of the Islamic Republic’s fear of naked arms of Iranian women,” she wrote. “It is shameful indeed, but that is how the Iranian media outlets based within the country have been covering such events for years.

“At a time when Farhadi chooses an astronaut and Nasa scientist to prove a point about human rights not having ‘borders’, the Islamic Republic of Iran does the complete opposite by using Farhadi’s wonderful Oscars statement for their own propaganda while blind to the meaning of his point.”