Iranian journalist held by FBI, denied halal food, hijab removed against her will

TEHRAN:- A PressTV journalist has been mysteriously detained  by the FBI after she was apprehended at St. Louis Lambert International Airport while travelling to visit family, the network has learned.

English-language Iranian network says its journalist and anchor Marzieh Hashemi was detained at St. Louis Lambert International Airport, Missouri and sent to Washington DC, where she is currently being held in an FBI detention facility. 

Hashemi was in the United States to visit her brother suffering from cancer, the broadcaster said.

Hashimi's relatives reportedly lost contact with her for 48 hours and only learned that she was being held by the US authorities after she was allowed to call her daughter two days after her arrest.

No charges have been filed against her, and no reason was given for her detention, according to the network.

Hashemi, who has been living in Iran for years and is a Muslim convert, has told her daughter that she was handcuffed and shackled and was being treated like a criminal.

The journalist claimed that her hijab "had been removed against her will" during custody, and that US officials denied her access to Halal or vegan food for several days, leaving her with only pretzels and bread.

Hashimi was born as Melanie Franklin in New Orleans, Louisiana and changed her name after converting to Islam.

She moved to Iran in 2008.