You Will Die in Prison

by Bernard Phelan

The story of an innocent man, arrested and imprisoned in Iran and finally released after 222 days

Bernard Phelan was working for an Iranian tour operator when he was arrested on false charges of spying on 3rd October 2022, becoming a political hostage.
He shared "Satan's block" in Mashhad prison with political prisoners and drug traffickers - and condemned inmates awaiting execution.
He was released from prison in May 2023 after being held hostage for seven months.

Bernard Phelan grew up in Stillorgan, Dublin and lives in Paris with his husband.

272 pages, Paperback

Published October 3, 2024

Reviews

[Niamh May · Rating 4 out of 5]

You Will Die in Prison by Bernard Phelan is an account of Phelan's experience being imprisoned in Iran. The book offers a look at life for foreign hostages in Iranian prisons. I found it an interesting read because it describes his personal struggles and also with political complexities surrounding European hostages in Iran. His writing is concise, with short chapters making it an engaging, accessible read. One thing that I liked most about the book is how Phelan humanises the Iranian people he encounters, portraying them with compassion and nuance, even while he critiques the harsh and dehumanising prison system. Overall, I found it a compelling memoir.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened on audio. I can’t believe the publishers let this guy narrate his book instead of getting a professional in to do it. Hard to listen to as he mumbled and fumbled his way through it. An interesting experience that highlights how dodgy it can be to travel in Iran and how quickly things can go wrong through no fault of your own. It puts me off going big time although it’s a country I’ve always wanted to visit. One question that the book left me with is what happened to his mate Mike who he last saw the moment they were “arrested”. He was never mentioned again? Did Bernard track him down once he was released and returned to Europe? Where is Mike now? Was he detained too?

[Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Audiobook). You Will Die in Prison is a memoir from Irish citizen Bernard Phelan, who is based in France with his partner Roland.
Bernard was visiting Iran, where he was working as a tour guide, when he was picked up by police and jailed on suspicion of spying.
This book details Bernard's time in Marshad Prison where he was on Satan's Block with a host of political prisoners. Bernard writes about his time by incorporating diary entries and speaks about the difficulties that appeared for him throughout his journey in being released from his wrongful jailtime.

[Lisa Hall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honest account of time spent in an Iranian prison. Mr Phelan handled his incarceration with such dignity

[Esther Dushinsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook

[Roberta Westwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frank and moving

Bernard Phelan’s account of his imprisonment abroad in Iran was a very remarkable account. It’s crazy that he was imprisoned in the first place, considering that he was promoting cultural tourism to the country. Then the haunting story of his time incarcerated was truly compelling. I not only appreciated that he wrote this book, but that he narrated it himself. It couldn’t have been easy, but it made the telling very personal.

I listened to the Audible audiobook.