Thread by @Beltrew

For last 1.5 months I’ve been investigating Olenivka a Russian prison where civilians are apparently disappeared, & uncovered evidence of potential war crimes. In middle of digging into it, on 29 July, an explosion there killed over 50 Ukrainian POWs (🧵) independent.co.uk/news/world/eur…

2. There are dozens of civilian inmates effectively vanished. I interviewed 4 civilian ex-detainees & their relatives as well as family members of civilians and POWs who are still believed to be inside. Families only find out their loved ones are inside from released cell mates

3. Our interviews reveal evidence of possible violations of international law & war crimes, including torture, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention and forced labour. The testimonies also cast doubt on Moscow’s claim that Ukraine had rocketed its own PoWs in Olenivka

4. I spoke to ex detainees who met British citizen John Harding there (in the barracks). They sketched out a map of Olenivka explaining that the location of the blast site was not where inmates usually slept, and has been empty until very recently #Olenivka

5. Ex detainees described being &seeing torture. The “welcome party” where they’re beaten, threatened with “execution” as well as being held in solidarity confinement. They said at points they were starved& forced to work on renovating the jail which had been abandoned #Olenivka

6. I shared the testimonies with @amnesty and @hrw. Amnesty’s Allan Hogarth they were “extremely disturbing allegations” of acts that, if proved to have taken place, would be likely to constitute war crimes. #Olenivka

7. This investigation is part 1 of my text and video series called The Missing on thousands of Ukrainians who have vanished since Putin’s invasion started in February. It’s the cruelest fate for families left behind. Please read: independent.co.uk/news/world/eur…

8. Front page of the Sunday edition.

https://twitter.com/thairshaikh/status/1561047270711349248

9. Just a postscript, one of the most heartbreaking quotes was the description of a former border guard held incommunicado in Olenivka. He had a breakdown & sunk into deep depression. In a corner he kept repeating "I will spend 25 years in here. My life is over. My life is over"