The trial of Australian writer Yang Hengjun has been conducted behind closed doors in Beijing, after he was detained for more than two years for espionage charges.

China said the case involved state secrets, meaning it could not be heard in open court.

Australia’s ambassador to China Graham Fletcher was denied entry to the Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People’s Court, with authorities citing the COVID-19 pandemic as the main reason. Fletcher said it was “deeply regrettable,” referring to a bilateral consular pact allowing for diplomatic attendance at such hearings.

He told reporters outside the court that Australia had long-standing concerns about a lack of transparency in the case, and “concluded it is an instance of arbitrary detention.”

He visited Yang earlier, and the Chinese government only notified him of the charge and the scheduled court date last week, Fletcher said, and he would keep on following the case to fight for Yang’s rights and provide consular assistance.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Thursday that Yang was prosecuted at the Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People’s Court on Oct. 7 last year over suspected espionage. The court has heard the case and would hand down a judgment at a later date, he said.

The Chinese judiciary handled the case in accordance with the law and Yang’s rights were fully protected, including visits by Australian diplomats, Zhao said. It was legal and reasonable that cases involving state secrets could not be heard in open court, as was the practice in many countries, he said.

China has protested against Australia’s intervention in its judicial process, Zhao said.

Yang, 56, is a Chinese-born Australian citizen who had previously worked at the Chinese Foreign Ministry before immigrating to Australia in 1999. He was arrested in January 2019 when he flew from New York to Guangzhou.

A day before the trial, Australian news outlets publicized a letter which Yang dictated to a visitor in March. He had endured 26 months “without fresh air or sunshine” which has deteriorated his health, the letter said.

But he said that he remained “spiritually strong”” and vowed to “face suffering and torture with resilience,” reported the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

“There is nothing more liberating than having one’s worst fears realized. I have no fear now. I will never compromise,” it said.

Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne told ABC that Beijing had not provided “any explanation or evidence of the charges” brought against Yang.

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