A court in the United States has confirmed the arrest of US-born Iranian Press TV news presenter Marzieh Hashemi as a material witness in an unspecified investigation.
Ms. Hashemi, 59, was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on unspecified charges upon arrival at St. Louis Lambert International Airport in St. Louis, Missouri, on Sunday, her family and friends said.
Judge Beryl Alaine Howell, the chief US district judge for the District of Columbia, issued the federal order on Friday upon a request by the Justice Department, Reuters reported.
She has appeared twice before a US district judge in Washington and has been appointed a lawyer, the Associated Press reported. It also said US government officials expected her to be released immediately after her testimony before a grand jury, but Ms. Hashemi’s elder son, Hossein, was pessimistic about prospects for her immediate release, saying it was not clear yet how long his…