Much drama in the afternoon. Another of my staff, visiting a place I shall call Borduria, had got detained by the Bordurian secret police this morning. They’d been perfectly polite but “borrowed” his laptop long enough to hoover all the data out of it, including sensitive interviews with a leading liberal in the Bordurian government who I happen to know as well. My colleague made his excuses and left Borduria, probably for ever as they withdrew his visa.

Very alarming. Knowing that his email is almost certainly monitored as well, I sent my Bordurian liberal friend an message that on a vague reading would look like a protest at the treatment of my colleague by the secret police, but I am pretty sure he is smart enough to realise that it was really a warning that they know what he’s been saying to us. (Of course they probably have a good idea anyway.)

Ulp.