Iosi, the Remorseful Spy

“A rare insider account of how modern espionage works” —Oliver Balch, Times Literary Supplement

“A rig­or­ous inves­ti­ga­tion and more — it’s an unthink­able con­fes­sion, a por­trait of a frac­tured iden­ti­ty, and a dis­turb­ing reck­on­ing with one of Argentina’s dark­est secrets. … This book is a page-turn­er steeped in romance, betray­al, and secrets.” —Jessica Ruetter, Jewish Book Council

“Astonishing, unbelievable, and nevertheless, true. That was and is the life of Iosi, the remorseful spy. The authors of this chronicle, Miriam Lewin and Horacio Lutzky, are well-reputed journalists. Not only did they investigate for years to corroborate all the facts of this seemingly fantastic tale, but they interviewed Iosi, whose real identity remains secret. The result is this extraordinary book you are about to read.” —Ana María Shua, author of The Book of Memories and Guggenheim Fellowship recipient

“Iosi, the Remorseful Spy is a fascinating noir of corruption, secrecy, and redemption. Embodying an outsider’s unique story with captivating prose, Lewin and Lutzky bring international intrigue and Jewish-Argentine history to life​.“​ —Julia Kornberg, author of Berlin Atomized

“Iosi is absorbed by his dual identity, by the fiction of his past, by so many years spent pretending until he ultimately becomes Jewish. Perhaps a spy’s greatest contradiction is that they must transform into their supposed enemy.” —Clarín

“This valuable testimony underscores the local actions that led to the AMIA bombing—a taboo topic to this day. This is both the recounting of a tragedy and a detailed journalistic investigation carried out by Miriam Lewin and Horacio Lutzky, reporters who are brave and professional, two virtues that do not often go hand in hand.” —La Nación

“Miriam Lewin and Horacio Lutzky tell the gripping tale of José “Iosi” Pérez, a federal intelligence officer who, after infiltrating the Jewish community, saw his life ruined by the unprecedented, limitless cruelty of his superiors.” —ABC España

“José Pérez learned Hebrew, passed himself off as a Jewish man, and ascended to such high ranks within the Jewish community that he was able to provide his superiors with blueprints of the AMIA building, detailing its most vulnerable points. When the AMIA and the Israeli Embassy were later bombed, murdering over one hundred people, Iosi felt that he had involuntarily aided in the preparation for the bombings. From there he embarks on a journey of introspection, confessing his tale to Lewin and Lutzky, as he begins to realize that he will not leave that world unscathed, because hell has no exit. An indispensable read.” —ABC España

MIRIAM LEWIN is a radio and television journalist based in Buenos Aires who has worked in Argentine radio and television for over 20 years. She was nominated for best journalist seven times for the Martin Fierro Prize in the television and radio categories. Lewin was a political activist during Argentina’s civic-military dictatorship and was kidnapped and disappeared. After being released, she lived in New York and upon her return to her country, she was a witness in the Trial of the Juntas in 1985 and in numerous cases for crimes against humanity. In 2020 she was elected by Congress as defender of the audiences, a position she held until June 2024.

HORACIO LUTZKY is a lawyer and journalist and was co-director of news for the cable TV channel Alef Network (1995) and a professor at the University of Palermo in the courses of Advertising (Law and Professional Practice) and Journalism. He was editor in chief for the newspaper Nueva Sion (1991-1995 and 1999-2000) where Iosi’s ex-wife worked as his secretary for a time. He worked as a congressional consultant in the trial against the Supreme Court’s failure to investigate the attack on the Israeli Embassy during Carlos Menem’s presidency. He is a regular contributor to several media outlets in Argentina.

FRANCES RIDDLE is an American-born literary translator, specializing in the translation of contemporary Latin American literature into English. She has a BA in Spanish Language and Literature from Louisiana State University and an MA in Translation Studies from the University of Buenos Aires.

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