Washington Post reporter stands trial in Iran over spying charges

An Iranian court on Monday tried a Washington Post reporter for the fourth time over spying and propaganda charges, official IRNA news agency reported.

Jason Rezaian, 39-year-old Iranian-American, stood trial at Branch 15 of Iran's Islamic Revolution Court, the same court before which he was previously tried for three times.

It is not clear whether the Monday session would be the final hearing session for Rezaian. Director General of the Judiciary's Tehran Province Office Gholam Hossein Esmaeili said Sunday that the date of final court session of the Rezaian depends on the judge's decision, according to IRNA.

Rezaian faces charges of "espionage, collaboration with hostile governments, gathering classified information and disseminating propaganda against the Islamic Republic," Rezaian's lawyer, Leila Ahsan, said earlier.

Rezaian assumed his job as Washington Post correspondent in Tehran in 2012. He was arrested on July 22, 2014, along with his wife, Yeganeh Salehi, a reporter for The National newspaper based in Abu Dhabi, and a female freelance photographer.

Salehi and the photographer, who were released on bail in October 2014, also appeared in court on Monday. Enditem