The trial of the Washington Post’s Tehran correspondent, Jason Rezaian, accused of espionage by the Iranian government opens today.

The process will take place in-camera.

Jason Rezaian was arrested by Iranian security services in July last year on unspecified charges.

His wife Yeganeh Salehi, a journalist for a Dubai newspaper, was also taken into custody. She was released on bail in October and faces a separate trial.

The brother of the accused, Ali Rezaian, describes the case as a “sham.”: “By having a secret trial, a closed trial, it just shows how scared the Iranians are to show that there is evidence. I think they are embarrassed by the evidence they have. They have gone along with this sham for the last ten months. It’s unlike the Iranian court system, Iranian government, to keep things private when they can go out and use propaganda up against people.“ 

The Washington Post says that Tehran alleges Jason Rezaian gathered information “about internal and foreign policy” a