Hashemi was detained on January 13 at Missouri's St. Louis Lambert International Airport while preparing to board a flight to Denver. She was reportedly traveling in the US to work on a documentary regarding the Black Lives Matter movement.
— Press TV (@PressTV) January 23, 2019
"Just as America is aware of the harassment of the Black community by the police, America needs to start talking about the harassment of the Muslim community by the FBI," a statement released from Hashemi's family following her release states. It added that the focus shouldn't solely be on Hashemi, but rather that those who are "Muslim or non-Muslim, [who] can be imprisoned without charge in the United States."
Last week, a partially unsealed order revealed that the Louisiana native had been arrested on a material witness warrant and would be subsequently released upon the completion of her testimony in front of a grand jury. In response, Iran's Foreign Ministry condemned Hashemi's detention, calling it an "unacceptable political act that tramples on freedom of speech."
Speaking to Sputnik Radio's Loud & Clear on Tuesday, Hashemi's former Press TV colleague Nargess Moballeghi told hosts Brian Becker and John Kiriakou that Hashemi's children had also been handed subpoenas, and that the journalist had been deprived of her hijab for a period of time.
According to Press TV, Hashemi will remain in Washington, DC, in order to attend a protest on Friday.
