Fifteen years ago, a brutal regime seized power. Ten years ago, a terrible war started. Horrific things were done; grotesque atrocities committed on a large scale. Five years ago, the war ended with the complete defeat of the regime. The victors gathered prisoners, held trials, and issued condemnations. The flagrantly guilty were executed for war crimes and/or crimes against humanity. The putatively less culpable were given lengthy prison terms; 20 years to life. They are held in an ancient, harsh prison complex. It’s a large complex, but houses only a few prisoners. There are many more guards than inmates. The routine is strict and uncompromising. There is no chance whatsoever of escape.
The characters are all imprisoned, formerly high-level governmental ministers or senior commissioned officers of the defeated and disgraced regime. The characters are all serving lengthy prison sentences for conviction of war crimes and/or crimes against humanity, under international criminal law. All have been justly convicted by a legitimate court/tribunal. Nevertheless, the characters still seek to minimize their direct involvement in the overthrown regime’s unsavory aspects and criminal actions. And still seek to justify their own actions, exempt themselves from complicity, etc. To this end, two or three characters sometimes collaborate in misremembering historical events – but, then again, they sometimes vigorously repudiate each other’s viewpoints if they are not to their personal advantage.
The truth of the matter is that time has passed them by, without reducing their guilt. Their years and years in prison have caused them to fade from the public’s interest, and society has progressed. When they are remembered by the public, it typically is with revulsion and hatred. But the prisoners know almost nothing about the world outside their prison and mistakenly believe they retain significant numbers of political followers and political influence – just outside the prison walls.