He was coerced into an apology, and that’s exactly what they do when there is non-conforming thought. Think of George Orwell’s 1984, and I’m not joking about this at all. The goal at first, is to get you to at least say the ‘correct’ thing, even if they have to coerce or torture you into it. Over time, they hope to brainwash you to the point where you not only say it, but you actually believe it.
We’ve always been at war with Eastasia!