Los Angeles: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has issued an apology for its initial statement concerning the arrest of Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal. Ballal, who co-directed the Oscar-winning documentary "No Other Land," was assaulted and detained by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank earlier this week. He was released the following day.

According to Anadolu Agency, the Academy's original statement on Wednesday condemned actions that harm or suppress artists but did not explicitly mention Ballal, his film, or Israel. This omission led to criticism from the public and over 600 Academy members, including high-profile actors like Mark Ruffalo, Joaquin Phoenix, and Penelope Cruz. They collectively signed an open letter condemning the assault and detention of the Oscar-winning filmmaker by settlers and Israeli forces.

In response to the backlash, Academy CEO Bill Kramer and President Janet Yang released a new statement apologizing to artists who felt unsupported by the initial release. The updated statement explicitly mentioned Ballal and reiterated the Academy's stance against violence and the suppression of free speech. However, it stopped short of directly naming Israel as responsible for Ballal's detention.

"No Other Land," which won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature earlier this month, highlights the ongoing demolition of Palestinian homes in the occupied West Bank.