In July 2019 Nicolas Pelham, The Economist’s Middle East correspondent, flew to Iran after receiving a rare journalist’s visa. On the day he was due to go home, he was detained. 

He was paying his hotel bill when they came for him. Seven members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard confiscated his phone and laptop, and whisked him off for interrogation. Accused of espionage, Nick was detained for seven weeks before finally being released.   

His powerful account of his time in captivity offers unprecedented insight into the Iranian regime—and its complicated relationship with the Iranian people.