Qualified amnesty

Amnesty may be granted for certain categories of political prisoners, but not others. After a political purge, an abortive or successful coup d'Etat, or other major act which threatens to overthrow the current political regime, many possible suspects (almost anyone who could have been connected with the event) may be detained. The least suspect among them may be granted amnesty but the leaders may remain in detention awaiting trial. Although a qualified amnesty may mean that these leaders receive trial sooner than they would have done otherwise, since amnesty is usually only granted in response to public or international protest, certain prisoners may be reclassified under muted-down classifications so that they can be kept in detention.