American Anchor for Iran’s PressTV Arrested During US Visit

Marziyeh Hashemi, a US citizen who works as an anchor and reporter for Iran’s state-run PressTV, has been arrested and detained by the US government. She was arrested at St. Louis Lambert International Airport trying to board a flight, and is being held without charges, reportedly as a “material witness.”

Hashemi lives in Tehran most of the time, but her son says she comes to the US annually to visit family. She was in St. Louis filming a Black Lives Matter documentary, and had also visited her relatives around New Orleans recently. She has reportedly been transferred to Washington D.C.

Broadly the reason for her arrest and detention are unclear, and uncommitted on. Iran issued a statement condemning her illegal arrest. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif called it a “political game.”

The Associated Press reported that some of Hashemi’s children have been subpoenaed to appear before a grand jury, though they have no further details. This has led to speculation that she is being held as a witness pending a deposition. Hashemi’s family says she isn’t being allowed to contact them, and so far they have not gotten an attorney because she isn’t being charged with anything, so far as anyone can tell.