New York, NY – On January 25 several dozen activists gathered in Grand Central Station to bring attention to the case of Marzieh Hashemi. Hashemi is a Muslim, African-American journalist who was imprisoned on January 13 when she was arrested by the FBI at the Saint Louis International Airport. She was on her way to visit her sick brother in Denver. For almost two weeks she as held as a “material witness” for an undisclosed investigation.

Hashemi was finally released shortly before the protest, but her family asked for the protesters who were mobilizing to continue their plans, so they could bring awareness to the U.S. government’s treatment of Hashemi.

The protest was called by the International Action Center.

There were several speakers, including Jake Holtzman from the Committee to Stop FBI Repression, who offered a message of solidarity. In his message, he highlighted how the U.S. government has always treated Muslim and Arab folks with bigotry and hatred, by connecting Hashemi’s case to the case of Rasmea Odeh. Most importantly, he emphasized that we must fight back against racist attacks.

The protest continued with more speakers and chants, as organizers handed out informational flyers.

#NewYorkNY #PeoplesStruggles #politicalRepression #Antiracism #MarziehHashemi

Minneapolis, MN – A well-known Iranian journalist, Marzieh Hashemi, has been jailed by the FBI. Hashemi is an anchor on Iran’s English language Press TV and has interviewed many progressive U.S. activists. According to credible reports, Hashemi was taken into custody at the Saint Louis, Missouri area’s Louis Lambert International Airport on January 13. The FBI has since moved her to a detention facility near Washington DC.

There is no indication that Hashemi has been charged with anything.

Hashemi, who was born in the United States but resides in Iran, was on a visit to family members, including a brother who is ill.

According to her family, Hashemi is being mistreated at the detention facility, where she is manacled, given meals of pork which she cannot eat, and has had her hijab taken away.

Joe Iosbaker, a leader of Chicago Freedom Road Socialist Organization states, “Marzieh is a journalist that has interviewed me in the past, about the U.S. war in Syria, and about the FBI witch hunt against the Anti-War 23 that started in 2010. Born and raised in the U.S., she's my age, and like me, was politicized as a college student by the struggle of the Iranian people against the brutal dictatorship of the Shah in the late 1970s. She visits her daughter and grandchildren here in the U.S. regularly. Her arrest is an act of political repression. We demand she be released immediately.”

#MinneapolisMN #WomensMovement #PeoplesStruggles #Iran #FBI #politicalRepression #Antiracism #MarziehHashemi