''Prisoner Without a Name, Cell Without a Number'' (

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

: ''Preso Sin Nombre, Celda Sin Numero'') is a 1981 memoir by the left-wing Argentine journalist and publisher

Jacobo Timerman Jacobo Timerman (6 January 1923 – 11 November 1999), was a Soviet-born Argentine publisher, journalist, and author, who is most noted for his confronting and reporting the atrocities of the Argentine military regime's Dirty War during a perio ...

, who was imprisoned without charge during the

Dirty War The Dirty War ( es, Guerra sucia) is the name used by the military junta or civic-military dictatorship of Argentina ( es, dictadura cívico-militar de Argentina, links=no) for the period of state terrorism in Argentina from 1974 to 1983 as ...

in Argentina in April 1977 and subsequently tortured. Though acquitted by a military court in October 1977, Timerman was kept under house arrest after his release in April 1978 until his deportation to Israel in September 1979.

About the book

The book was written from January to July 1980 in Tel Aviv. It details his personal experiences in Argentina while also covering the larger political issues. In 1981, it was published in both the Spanish original and an English translation and quickly gained international popularity. Timerman was invited to lecture about his experience in Israel, Europe, Canada, and the United States, which increased his international recognition and publicized the human rights situation in Argentina. Richard H. Curtiss,
In Memoriam: Jacobo Timerman, 1923–1999
, ''Washington Report on Middle East Affairs'' XIX (1), February 2000, p. 59. The book weaves together different narratives, discussing Timerman's imprisonment, his biography, and larger topics of Argentine politics. ''Prisoner Without a Name provided new details to the world about the Argentine military dictatorship. For instance, it described a weekly lecture called "The Academy" held for police and military officers, who were taught that they were fighting a "World War III" against left-wing terrorists. The book describes

antisemitism Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism. Antis ...

and anti-intellectualism within the military regime. In 1983, it was made into a television film, '' Jacobo Timerman: Prisoner Without a Name, Cell Without a Number''. In 2023, the Argentina's Human Rights Secretariat held a commemoration at the prison where Timerman was held, the former Centre of Tactical Operations I (COTI) in the Martínez suburb of

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...

References

{{Reflist 1981 non-fiction books Antisemitism in Argentina Argentine autobiographies Books about antisemitism Books about Zionism Jewish literature Jews and Judaism in Argentina Memoirs adapted into films Memoirs of imprisonment Zionism in Argentina Dirty War

About the book

See also

References