Aug 7--Kremlin File with Oleksandra Matviichuk

Russia’s campaign of genocide and war crimes

Olga and I are joined by Oleksandra Matviichuk - a Ukrainian human rights lawyer and civil society leader based in Kyiv.

Oleksandra heads the non-profit organization The Center for Civil Liberties and is an active campaigner for democratic reforms in her country and the OSCE region.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/avalaina 

My comment

I am personally grateful to have spoken with Oleksandra again. We hosted her on EuroFile@6 in March, before the horrors of Bucha and Irpin were uncovered and brought to public consciousness. So much has happened since then and we were eager to see Oleksandra.

The work she and the volunteers and official investigators are doing across Ukraine is essential to bring Russian perpetrators of war crimes and genocide to justice. You’ll understand how difficult that is through Oleksandra’s own words. This is God’s work.

I cannot imagine the level of mental and physical strength as well as determination you need to do this work. Our conversation left me with the desire to reach out across the virtual world to embrace Oleksandra in the warmest, strongest hug I could muster. I’m grateful for the time she could afford us.

Please consider donating to Ukraine’s workers on the ground, either humanitarian or non-lethal military aid, and visit the official Ukraine government website for their vetted organisations.

Slava Ukraini

Harding, ‘Absolute evil’: inside the Russian prison camp where dozens of Ukrainians burned to death

Screams from soldiers being tortured, overflowing cells, inhuman conditions, a regime of intimidation and murder. Inedible gruel, no communication with the outside world, and days marked off with a home-made calendar written on a box of tea.

This, according to a prisoner who was there, is what conditions are like inside Olenivka, the notorious detention centre outside Donetsk where dozens of Ukrainian soldiers burned to death in a horrific episode late last month while in Russian captivity.

Anna Vorosheva – a 45-year-old Ukrainian entrepreneur – gave a harrowing account to the Observer of her time inside the jail. She spent 100 days in Olenivka after being detained in mid-March at a checkpoint run by the pro-Russian Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR) in eastern Ukraine.

Toronto Television / Телебачення Торонто @tvtoront

😔🖤Ukrainian artist Olena Liberty dedicated her painting entitled "Olenivka 29.07.2022" to Ukrainian soldiers who were killed in a Russian terrorist attack in Olenivka prison (the occupied part of Donetsk region, Eastern Ukraine).

Never forget Belarus

Hanna Liubakova @HannaLiubakova

#Belarus People are supporting #Ukraine right in the Minsk city centre. This was a concert near the bar on the famous Zybitskaya Street. Propaganda exploded, claiming that all resistance must be wiped out. The regime announced the closure of the bar and checks of other venues

Meriem Herasimenka arrested after the concert

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya @Tsihanouskaya

We demand the immediate release of singer Meriem Herasimenka. She was detained for singing a song by 🇺🇦band @okeanelzy in Minsk. The video showing crowds singing with her went viral. With thousands of small acts of courage, brave Belarusians like Meriem show their support for 🇺🇦.

Thanks for listening…

Mo