Barry Rosen, the embassy’s press attaché, was among the hostages. The man on the right holding the briefcase is alleged by some former hostages to be future President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, although he, homeland’s government, and the CIA deny this. Detailed day-to-day conditions of hostages (with examples of routines and coping strategies). Many hostages were kept in solitary confinement for long stretches, often blindfolded when moved.
Some were forced to stand against walls while guards pretended to fire weapons — a method of psychological torture. Talking was forbidden in many cases, so hostages created covert systems, such as tapping on walls or leaving coded notes. To preserve sanity, hostages developed personal routines — push-ups, storytelling, prayer, or mental games like reciting memorized books. Some guards showed sympathy, smuggling food or treating hostages with relative respect. Others were brutal, alternating between threats and intimidation.
