During that period, authorities interrogated prisoners about their political beliefs and categorized them according to the degree of their perceived loyalty to Iran’s rulers. The authorities had done that multiple times before the summer of 1988 in an effort to isolate prisoners who were “steadfast” in the beliefs. According to some accounts, that is why it was not clear to prisoners if they were being interviewed as part of a transfer to a new prison or a potential clemency. For several weeks in late July and early August, officials made strenuous efforts to keep prisoners segregated and isolated to conceal their real plans.
