American Reporter Goes on Trial in Iran for ‘Spying’

Washington Post correspondent Jason Rezaian went on trial behind closed doors in Iran Tuesday on charges of spying, in a move that may cast a pall over Tehran’s fledgling rapprochement with the United States.

Rezaian, a 39-year-old Iranian-American, is facing charges of "espionage, collaboration with hostile governments, gathering classified information and disseminating propaganda against the Islamic republic," his lawyer Leila Ahsan told AFP.

The United States and the Washington Post have branded the charges absurd and demanded his release.

State media gave no details of Tuesday's hearing and no indication of how long the trial might last.

Among the offenses Jason Rezaian is alleged to have committed is writing a letter to US President Barack Obama.

California-born Rezaian is one of four US citizens that Obama has urged Iran to return home, with the support of the US Senate.

The other detained Americans are Pastor Saeed Abedini, in jail for more than two years after being convicted of undermining national security, and former US Marine Amir Hekmati, who is serving a 10-year sentence for cooperating with hostile governments.

A fourth American, retired FBI agent Robert Levinson, remains missing after mysteriously vanishing in Iran eight years ago.