( CNN ) Jason Rezaian has sat in jail in Iran for nearly nine months . The Washington Post 's bureau chief in Tehran was arrested in July on unspecified allegations . It took more than four months for a judge to hear charges against him . They remained publicly undisclosed until last week . The Iranian-American will be tried soon on espionage , Tehran 's chief justice said . He is accused of economic spying , the Post reported , citing Iranian state media . The Washington Post did not mince words on the allegation . `` Any charges of that sort would be absurd , the product of fertile and twisted imaginations , '' the paper said in a statement . The State Department also reacted with term `` absurd '' after hearing of reports in Iran 's press about the charges . `` If the reports are true , these charges are absurd , should be immediately dismissed and Jason should be immediately freed so that he can return to his family , '' the State Department official said . Since officers picked up Rezaian and his wife , Yeganeh Salehi , on July 22 at their home , the Post , the State Department and Rezaian 's family have protested and called for his release . Salehi was released on bail in October . Rezaian was denied bail . And for months , he was denied access to proper legal representation , his family has said . Boxing great Muhammad Ali , also an American Muslim , appealed to Tehran last month to give Rezaian full access to legal representation and free him on bail . `` To my knowledge , Jason is a man of peace and great faith , a man whose dedication and respect for the Iranian people is evident in his work , '' Ali said in a religiously worded statement . The journalist has also not been allowed to see visitors aside from his wife and has endured long interrogations , family members have said . In December , after a 10-hour hearing , Rezaian signed a paper to acknowledge that he understood the charges against him , the Post reported . Iran 's human rights chief , Mohammad Javad Larijani , told news outlet France 24 last year that he hoped Rezaian 's case would come to a positive conclusion . He said , `` Let us hope that this fiasco will end on good terms . '' More on detained Americans . CNN 's Sara Mazloumsaki and Azadeh Ansari contributed to this report .
Officers arrested Jason Rezaian and his wife in July on unspecified allegations . The couple were released after posting a $1 million bond. The Washington Post and the State Department find the charges `` absurd ''