The following prison details stick in my mind from this interview I did with a Ukrainian prisoner of war who has now returned, on life in Russian prison:
— Shaun Walker (@shaunwalker7) May 12, 2024
6am-10pm no sitting or lying permitted, only standing up.
The speaker system played radio programmes about Ukrainian Nazis…
The following prison details stick in my mind from this interview I did with a Ukrainian prisoner of war who has now returned, on life in Russian prison:
6am-10pm no sitting or lying permitted, only standing up.
The speaker system played radio programmes about Ukrainian Nazis on loop.
Twice a day routine of standing legs apart while being beaten with truncheons and electric shockers
Forced to read poetry begging forgiveness from "fraternal Russians" while being beaten
===
During the daily beating ritual, the men were forced to recite poems begging forgiveness from the "fraternal Russians" for Ukraine's errant ways. They had to memorise the poems, and were beaten harder if they forgot lines or if the guards considered they were not putting enough emotion into them.
Months later, Merkotan could still remember the long poems by heart. One fragment went: "There is no Ukraine without Russia / It's as pointless as a lock without a key / We are all one family, even if we argued / But arguments can happen in a family."
