Do you realize this line was the (unsuccessful) defence of Adolf Eichmann, the actual on the ground organizer of the Holocaust itself, when he was on trial? He claimed he was not liable for any of it because he was merely following orders in a totalitarian system where he had no right to objection...
I think to some degree it is a valid argument.
It isn’t a valid argument if you are one of the architects of the system or have the means to get away from the situation though.
He never said he was trapped.
He admitted he was part of the process and that he thought it was the right thing to do.
Do you have a link to that as I do not recall seeing that in the linked article.