News / Politics / FreeMarziehHashemi

Press TV chief urges anchor’s release, says US contradicting claim of rights protection

Wednesday, 23 January 2019 1:22 PM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 23 January 2019 11:11 PM ]

The head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB)'s World Service, Peyman Jebelli

The head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB)'s World Service attends a news conference on the US detention of Press TV anchor Marzieh Hashemi, calling for her immediate release.

Peyman Jebelli held the news conference in the Iranian capital Tehran on Wednesday, which marks the 11th day after Hashemi’s detention in the US.‎

He said the US was contradicting its claims of defending human rights by detaining the Press TV anchor.

Jebelli once again reiterated that Press TV anchor was not accused of ‎ any crimes and was held as material witness in the US.‎

He said Press TV anchor was paying the price for seeking freedom of speech.

"We are doing all we can to help ‎ free Press TV anchor from the US detention,” Jebelli said.

IRIB World Service CEO Jebelli slams U.S. ‘abduction’ of Press TV anchor Hashemi- / #FreeMarziehHashemi #PrayFor… https://t.co/cE7oQU7fxQ
— Press TV (@PressTV) January 23, 2019

He also said that the Iranian Foreign Ministry will use its capacities to help free Hashemi.

‘Press TV anchor case shows US discrimination against non-white people’

Following a cabinet session on Wednesday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s special envoy, Mahmoud Vaezi, said although the US claims advocating human rights, non-white have been facing problems in the country.

He said that the case of Press TV anchor was an instance of discrimination against non-white people.

He said Ms. Hashemi was being targeted because she was Muslim, adding that Islamophobic policies have been pursued more blatantly in the administration of US President Donald Trump.

PressTV-IRIB staff protest Press TV anchor’s detention by US

The personnel of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting gather outside UN office in Tehran to protest the detention of Marzieh Hashemi by the US.

Hashemi, a 59-year-old American-born Muslim convert who has lived in Iran for years, was detained at St. Louis Lambert International Airport in Missouri last Sunday while in the US to visit her ill brother and other family members.

She was transferred to a detention facility in Washington, D.C., 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.”