His wife Yeganeh Salehi and a woman described as a
photojournalist, who were detained with him in July but later
released, also went on trial, the official IRNA news agency said
without giving any details on their charges.
The three, all U.S.-Iranian, were in court for around two hours
before the session was adjourned, IRNA added.
Iranian authorities have not released details of any charges and
pressed on with the case in the face of calls from U.S. President
Barack Obama, family members and rights groups for Rezaian's release
and more information on the charges.
The case has put pressure on U.S.-Iranian relations, while Tehran,
Washington and five other world powers have been trying to hammer
out a deal to end a decade-old standoff over Iran's nuclear program.
"He (Rezaian) has been charged with espionage for collecting
confidential information ... and handing it to hostile governments,
writing a letter to Obama and acting against national security,"
lawyer Leila Ahsan told Tasnim.
Rezaian's brother Ali told Reuters Television on Monday that family
members had been barred from attending the Revolutionary Court
session.
"I think the only reason you could possibly imagine that the trial
would be closed would be to prevent people from seeing the lack of
evidence," Rezaian said.
"It's unlike the Iranian court system, Iranian government, to keep
things private when they can go out and use propaganda up against
people."
He said his brother, the Post's Tehran bureau chief who is from
Marin County, California, had lost 40 pounds (18 kg) in prison.
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Rezaian was arrested with his wife and two other Iranian-American
friends, the female journalist and a man. Salehi was freed on bail
while the couple were released and none of them have been publicly
charged. There was no information on the man in Tuesday's reports.
Douglas Jehl, the Post's foreign editor, called the charges
baseless. "What Jason did was act as a journalist, which involves
gathering information, verifying information, and ultimately
publishing it," he told Reuters Television.
Obama has called the charges against Rezaian "vague" and pressed
Iran to release all American detainees.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in April that an
intelligence operative, possibly linked to the U.S. government, may
have "taken advantage" of Rezaian.
The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists has called on
Iranian authorities to ensure a “fair and transparent trial”.
(Additional reporting by Nadine Alfa in Washington, Editing by
Andrew Heavens)
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