"It is mind boggling that you can be arrested, detained and shackled [while] not charged with the crime. And wow, I definitely saw it first hand," Hashemi told the RT broadcaster in an interview on Thursday.
Hashemi was not charged, but was detained in Washington for 10 days as a material witness in a grand jury investigation, according to media reports. Hashemi said in an interview that while she could not disclose details, the detention was not related to terrorism. The anchorwoman said she believes she was jailed due to her job and the fact that she lives in Iran.
READ MORE: US Releases Iranian Journalist Marzieh Hashemi After 11 Days Detained
Responding to reporters' questions, the US Justice Department said in a statement that the US federal law allows to judges to order witnesses to be detained if the government can "demonstrate probable cause to believe that the witness can provide material evidence, and that it will be impracticable to secure the witness's attendance at the proceedings by means of a subpoena."
Hashemi, however, noted that the detention was unnecessary as she would have voluntarily appeared for questioning and complied with federal subpoena.
