Iran Chief Justice condemns illegal detention of Press TV anchor

Iran’s Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Sadeq Amoli Larijani has denounced the illegal detention of Press TV’s anchor and expressed regret over increasing violation of human rights by the United States and Western countries.

Addressing a meeting with senior Iranian judiciary officials, Amoli Larijani added that it is quite clear that the US and West are using the issue of human rights as a tool.
“In the recent case, they claim that this journalist has been detained as a ‘witness’. This is the first time that I hear a country detains its own national – who is only a witness – in her own homeland without there being any fear about her possible flight from the country,” he said.
Amoli Larijani said the US judicial system is responsible for any possible harm to Hashemi, adding that the US’ problem with the Iranian journalist was that she defended the Islamic Revolution in Iran and criticized the United States’ crimes in different parts of the world.
The Iranian judiciary chief also ordered the country’s prosecutor general to take all necessary measures to defend Hashemi’s rights and secure her release.
Iran’s Vice Presidency for Women and Family Affairs on Sunday denounced the detention of Press TV news anchor, who has been taken into custody by the FBI as material witness in an unspecified case.
Issuing a statement, the vice presidency expressed its support for the inalienable humanitarian rights of the female Muslim journalist, calling on Iranian officials to do their best for Hashemi’s release.
Iran’s Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani also said on Sunday that the US “barbaric” treatment of Press TV’s detained anchorwoman is an instance of “sham politics,” denouncing Washington for applying double standards to the issue of human rights.
Larijani said “the American regime’s barbaric behavior towards the Press TV journalist and the illegal treatment she has been subjected to are proof that they (the Americans) only preach about human rights to others, while they commit themselves to the same approach which their vassal state adopted in dealing with Khashoggi.”