US authorities arrest Muslim-American journalist without charge

On Wednesday 16 January, Press TV reported that US authorities had arrested one of its journalists, Marzieh Hashemi, without charge. Hashemi is a US citizen who was reportedly visiting her family. She was taken into custody at St Louis International Airport on 13 January; but the media outlet says the FBI has now moved her to a detention centre in Washington DC:

⚡️ #BREAKING ⚡️

We have been informed of journalist and Press TV news anchor Ms. Marzieh Hashemi's arrest and imprisonment in Washington. Reasons for her arrest remains unclear, although no formal charges have been pressed against her.#FreeMarziehHashemi #Pray4MarziehHashemi pic.twitter.com/aNfA0stz19

— Press TV 🔻 (@PressTV) January 16, 2019

https://twitter.com/AliSalaam_NoWar/status/1085382384722178048

Human rights violations

According to Press TV, the Associated Press has received no response to its request for a statement on Hashemi’s arrest from the FBI. Meanwhile, the hashtag #FreeMarziehHashemi is gaining strength as people voice their concerns over her arrest and harsh treatment:

#FreeMarziehHashemi #FreeMarzieh NOW

Be Marzieh's voice
Share her news wide
She is a journalist who was abducted by the FBI.
What if it were you? pic.twitter.com/llKELzMVc0

— Marwa Osman || مروة عثمان (@Marwa__Osman) January 16, 2019

https://twitter.com/alavi_golsa/status/1085489581976375297

The imperialist state continues it's lifelong war on free speech and continues to increase its tyranny. The @PressTV anchor has been detained on unspecified charges. She has told family she has had her hijab ripped off, and given no food she can eat. #FreeMarziehHashemi pic.twitter.com/Ix9bDlFA60

— Ibs (@IbrahimSincere) January 16, 2019

Also, as Hashemi is a US citizen, many are pointing out that the authorities are violating her constitutional rights. They have held Hashemi without charge and denied her due legal process. Moreover, they face accusations of forcibly removing her headscarf and only offering her food that does not comply with her religious beliefs:

https://twitter.com/JournoNargess/status/1085482244192518144

https://twitter.com/Husain_72/status/1085396534961811458

Detention of journalist Marzieh Hashemi & depriving her of her religious demands & rights by @FBI is absoutely violation of her constitution & civil rights.#FreeMarziehHashemi #Pray4MarziehHashemi pic.twitter.com/hzWgGUgpDt

— Hamid Reza (@hamid3663) January 16, 2019

Freedom of the press

With Hashemi’s position as a prominent journalist in the international community, many perceive her arrest as a clear restriction of press freedom:

https://twitter.com/Odemakpore47/status/1085499206448660481

The United States are playing a dangerous game by abducting journalists who have committed no crimes. We need the international community to speak up for Marzieh Hashemi. Is John Bolton that desperate to start a war with Iran? #FreeMarziehHashemi

— Runway, Houses, City, Clouds (@lditommaso06) January 16, 2019

https://twitter.com/YJebraily/status/1085441478019727361

A Black, Muslim woman against the establishment

It also hasn’t gone unnoticed that, as a Black, Muslim woman, Hashemi is an obvious target. Her treatment suggests a combination of both Islamophobia and misogynoir, a form of oppression that Black women uniquely face.

Indeed, Islamophobia has been embedded in US policy ever since the ‘Muslim ban’ that Donald Trump introduced in 2017. And Hashemi has strong links to Iran, which is on the list of ‘banned’ countries:

https://twitter.com/AppleOfHeaven/status/1085476794315075586

Marzieh Hashemi, the Press TV anchor and journalist has been arrested by FBI for unspecified  reasons.
Maybe being woman, black ,anchor of Iranian news channel, or Muslim is crime in the US.#FreeMarziehHashemi

— آقای فرودو (@MrForodo) January 16, 2019

https://twitter.com/ShadiSaliminia/status/1085444412639928320

https://twitter.com/Jnoubie/status/1085474343369494528

While the length and reasons for Hashemi’s detention are unknown, her family will remain concerned for her safety. Hashemi’s arrest and apparently poor treatment go against principles of justice and human rights enshrined in both the US constitution and international law. It’s clear, however, that as the US authorities continue to detain a journalist without charge, support for her will keep gaining momentum.

Featured image via Twitter/Press TV