Iran Press/ Iran news: Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Wednesday that the arrest and imprisonment of Press TV news anchor and journalist, Marzieh Hashemi is a clear violation of freedom of speech.
Iranian Foreign Minister made the remarks in an exclusive interview with Al-Alam News Network, Iran Press reported.
"The arrest is a political and unacceptable move by US so Americans should put an end to this political play immediately," Zarif noted.
The Head of IRIB World Service, Peyman Jebeli on Wednesday has forthrightly condemned the arrest and imprisonment of Press TV news anchor and journalist, Marzieh Hashemi, saying the Trump administration is fully responsible for the safety and well-being of the well-known television personality.
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Jebeli: US responsible for safety and well-being of Press TV journalist, Marzieh Hashemi
"As Marzieh Hashemi was the wife of an Iranian citizen so she is also considered as the country's citizen and it is our responsibility to protect Iranian citizens' rights," Iranian Foreign Minister added.
"Marzieh Hashemi is an official television journalist and correspondent and has a clear life and duty," Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif concluded.
Hashemi, a journalist and news anchor working for Iran’s English-language Press TV television channel, has been jailed in the US for unspecified reasons.
The New Orleans-born journalist and television presenter, who had been travelling within the United States to visit her sick brother and other relatives, was detained at St. Louis Lambert International Airport on Sunday, and later transferred by the FBI to a detention facility in Washington DC.
Relatives had been unable to contact her for over 48 hours, and only recently learnt about her detention.
Reports suggest prison guards have attached chains to Marzieh Hashemi, and are treating her badly. Also prison guards took Hashemi's hejab off her head and took several photographs. Also she has been given only short-sleeved T-Shirts to wear, so she has covered her head with another T-Shirt.
Most importantly Marzieh Hashemi is being treated as a criminal in the US prison system. 101/ 211 /201
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Press TV anchor, Marzieh Hashemi, arrested and imprisoned by FBI in Washington