Protest in Tehran over US detention of journalist

Tehran, Jan 20 (IANS) Iranians demonstrated outside the Swiss embassy in Tehran on Sunday to protest against the detention of an Iranian-American journalist in Washington.The protesters chanted "Free Marzieh Hashemi" and demanded that the US authorities immediately release the journalist who works for Iran's Press TV, reports Xinhua news agency.Hashemi, who has been living in Iran for years, was detained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) at the airport in St. Louis, Missouri, on January 13 while making a family visit.A federal US court order confirmed on Friday that she had been arrested on a "material witness" warrant and had not been accused of any crime.Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif described Hashemi's arrest as politically motivated.After diplomatic relations between Iran and the US were severed in 1979, Washington appointed Switzerland to protect its interests in Tehran.
--IANS ksk/mr