Iran Press/America: During the demonstration, the participants demanded the immediate release of the American-born journalist and condemned US law which authorizes the arrest of material witnesses.
According to Iran Press, Marzieh Hashemi, a 59-year-old Muslim convert, appeared in a court on Friday for a second time and is slated to appear before a grand jury on Wednesday, January 23.
Marzieh Hashemi, who has been living in Iran for years, was detained by the FBI at the international airport in St. Louis, Missouri, on January 13 while making a family visit.
She was transferred to a detention facility in Washington, DC, where she was initially forced to remove her hijab and only offered non-halal food.
The FBI has repeatedly declined to comment on her arrest. But the US government has confirmed that she has been arrested as a “material witness.”
Under '18 U.S. Code § 3144', an individual whose testimony is deemed material to a criminal proceeding can be forcefully seized and held indefinitely if he/she is considered a 'flight risk'.
Hashemi’s family have highlighted that law as “controversial” and “a legal loophole,” and have asked people who will rally on the designated date to also protest against it.
Iran has already protested Hashemi’s detention and ill-treatment. On Tuesday, Iran summoned the Swiss ambassador to Tehran to protest her illegal” detention. 101
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Press conference in Tehran on Marzieh Hashemi detention
