Iran summons Swiss envoy over journo's detention in the US

Tehran, Jan 22, IRNA - Iranian Foreign Ministry summoned the Swiss ambassador to Tehran following the US arrest of Marzieh Hashemi, an Iranian-American TV anchor and presenter at Iran's English-language news channel Press TV. 'Given the prolonged detention of Iranian citizen and Press TV's journalist, Marzieh Hashemi, the Swiss ambassador has been summoned and the Iranian Foreign Ministry's Americas affairs director delivered the Islamic Republic's strongest complaint,' Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi said. The Iranian foreign ministry official said that a written complaint about the US government's officers detention and their inhumane and discriminatory behavior towards Press TV's journalist was given to Swiss ambassador, Markus Leitner. Qasemi added that Foreign Ministry has called for Hashemi's urgent and unconditional release from jail. 'During the meeting, it was emphasized that the US federal police's handling of the case and the federal government's questionable silence towards this situation is against its international obligations and the flagrant violation of the human rights of Mrs. Hashemi,' added the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman. Qasemi warned that 'such discriminatory steps and violation of her human rights by the US government makes it accountable against the international community.' 'The US should answer [about the Iranian journalist's detention],' he added. The Swiss ambassador said he will immediately deliver Iran's position in this regard to the US authorities and will report back about the result, according to the Foreign Ministry spokesman. The US-born Marzieh Hashemi (Melanie Franklin) who traveled to the US to visit her sick brother was arrested at St. Louis International Airport in Lambert on January 13 and was transferred to a detention facility in Washington the by FBI agents.