US detained journalist arrives in Iran

Press TV anchor Marzieh Hashemi who was detained in the United States under empty accusations returned home after she was freed from the US jail.

Hashemi, 59-year-old American-born Muslim convert women, who has lived in Iran for years, was detained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) at St. Louis Lambert International Airport in Missouri on January 13 while in the US to visit her ill brother and other family members.

The head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB)'s World Service, Peyman Jebelli, told reporters at Imam Khomeini Airport that the release of Marzieh Hashemi marked a victory for the freedom-seeking and a setback for the US.

Press TV while quoted Jebelli as saying that the US, which was seeking to humiliate the Press TV anchor, was itself belittled by all those who stood by Ms Hashemi.

He said that supporting her was advocating the path of justice and righteousness.

Hashemi was released on January 23 after some 10 days of detention without charge at a Washington, DC, facility.

A US federal court failed to indict the journalist, who was arrested as a material witness and in an unspecified criminal proceeding, of any crime.

Hashemi's detention prompted condemnation in the US and abroad, sparking rallies in several countries, including the United States.

In an address during demonstrations in Washington, DC., Hashemi recounted her ordeal during her time in jail and mistreatment by the American justice system.

A report in PressTV said that during her detention, she was forced to remove her hijab and was only offered non-halal food.

Following her release, her family issued a statement, reiterating the need for justice in similar cases.

Marzieh and her family will not allow this to be swept under the carpet, the woman's family said in the statement. They still have serious grievances [and] they want assurances that this won't happen to any Muslim or any other person ever again.