An American journalist for Iran's Press TV has been arrested in the US, she is currently being held without charge in a Washington jail.
Marzieh Hashemi, 59, an anchorwoman for Iran's English-language Press TV, was arrested on arrival at St Louis Lambert International Airport on Sunday and transferred by the FBI to a detention facility in Washington, DC, the broadcaster reported on Wednesday.
Hashemi was detained in St. Louis, where she had filmed a Black Lives Matter documentary after visiting relatives in the New Orleans area. She was then taken to Washington, according to her elder son, Hossein Hashemi.
Hashemi was born Melanie Franklin in New Orleans but has worked for Iran's state TV network for 25 years now.
"The custody of Iran's reporter in the US is highly political and she should be released immediately," Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said, according to IRNA.
"The misbehavior of the US government indicates that the US does not abide by any principles protecting rights of those criticizing the system and is now turned to a dangerous country for reporters."
An Iranian foreign ministry spokesman, Bahram Ghasemi, told state TV that Hashemi’s arrest indicates the “apartheid and racist policy” of the Trump administration.
“We hope that the innocent person will be released without any condition,” Ghasemi said.
