Marzieh Hashemi Arrives In Iran after Detention in US

Local Editor

Press TV anchor Marzieh Hashemi, who was jailed in the US without charge for days and later freed amid public outcry, arrived in the Iranian capital Tehran.

Hashemi arrived at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport on Wednesday night and was welcomed by her relatives and colleagues.

The 59-year-old American-born Muslim convert who has lived in Iran for years, was detained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI] at St. Louis Lambert International Airport in Missouri on January 13 while in the US to visit her ill brother and other family members.

Hashemi was released on January 23 after some 10 days of detention without charge at a Washington, DC, facility.

A US federal court failed to indict the journalist, who was arrested as a material witness and in an unspecified criminal proceeding, of any crime.

Hashemi’s detention prompted condemnation in the US and abroad, sparking rallies in several countries, including the United States.

In an address during demonstrations in Washington, DC., Hashemi recounted her ordeal during her time in jail and mistreatment by the American justice system.

While in detention, she was forced to remove her hijab and was only offered non-halal food.

Following her release, her family issued a statement, reiterating the need for justice in similar cases. 

“Marzieh and her family will not allow this to be swept under the carpet,” the woman’s family said in the statement. They “still have serious grievances [and] they want assurances that this won’t happen to any Muslim – or any other person – ever again.”

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team