An Australian television journalist detained in China for more than 19 months was put on trial in a closed court, on state secrets charges.

The court session ended on Thursday with the court deferring its verdict.

Cheng Lei, a former high-profile anchor for the Chinese government’s English-language broadcaster CGTN, is facing accusations of providing state secrets or intelligence to foreigners or foreign organisations.

According to Reuters Australian Ambassador Graham Fletcher was denied entry to the court.

“This is deeply concerning, unsatisfactory and regrettable. We can have no confidence in the validity of a process which is conducted in secret,” Fletcher told journalists.

Aljazeera/Reuters.