US-born Iranian newscaster Marzieh Hashemi arrives back in Iran

An American-born Iranian television anchorwoman who was detained by the FBI and held as a material witness in a US case, has returned to Iran.

The Wednesday report by state-run English-language channel Press TV says Marzieh Hashemi has arrived in Iran’s capital Tehran.

She was welcomed by her colleagues in a special ceremony upon her arrival at Imam Khomeini International Airport, according to the report.

The 59-year-old Muslim convert, who has lived in Iran for years, was detained by the FBI at St. Louis International Airport in Missouri on Jan. 13 while in the US to visit her ill brother and other family members.

Hashemi is a US citizen and was born Melanie Franklin. She lives in Tehran and comes back to the United States about once a year to see her family, usually scheduling documentary work in the US, her son has said.