Producer Brian McColgan introduces You Will Die in Prison, a new RTÉ One documentary premiering on Wednesday 3rd September - watch it now, via RTÉ Player.
While reading a breaking story in the Irish Times about an Irish/French citizen, Bernard Phelan, who was being held hostage in Iran, I was shocked to realise I knew Bernard. The story then took on a greater meaning for me. Bernard was a colleague in the tourism industry and I had known him for 20 years.
What to do? How to help? Something has to be done. Bernard's sister Caroline was also a colleague of mine, and became the spearhead in efforts to secure her brother’s release.
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Listen Bernard Phelan talks to Morning Ireland
Myself and my wife, Marina, who also worked in the tourism industry, joined the campaign and became pro-active in the cause. In parallel, government officials, led by then-Tánaiste Michael Martin, were negotiating with the Iranian authorities in an effort to secure his release.
As the weeks and then months went on, there was great concern over Bernard’s health, could he survive much longer as a hostage in the notorious 'Satan’s Block’ in Mashhad prison, or would his health give out?
Almost seven months later, as the publicity and media coverage of Bernard’s captivity intensified, the news broke that Bernard was to be set free.
Soon after his release Marina, Bernard and I met in the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin and as a result it was agreed that a film documenting Bernard’s experiences should be made, knowing it could be of benefit to those unfortunate people who were still being held hostage in Iran and elsewhere. So as not to lose or delay the momentum of his story, I enlisted the support of my brothers John and Gerry, who were in the production business, to make the documentary. Gerry was director and John was executive producer.
Soon after, at his home in Paris, Bernard recounted his horrendous experience in great detail to me in an intense interview. This formed the basis of our subsequent documentary You Will Die in Prison. Other contributors included journalists and authors Lara Marlowe and Florence Aubenas (who was also a former hostage), Bernard’s husband Roland, his sister Caroline and his now-deceased father Vincent, as well as Hostage International CEO Lara Symons and President Michael D. Higgins.
As well as documenting Bernard’s frightening time in 'Satan’s Block’, the documentary looks at his life after captivity and finds out how Bernard coped in the subsequent life changing months after his release.
I am delighted to have been part of the making of this documentary and very happy that it is being broadcast on RTÉ One television at 10.35pm on Wednesday 3rd September.
