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After more than a year of work, “Oscar Jenkins: The Australian They Left Behind” is now available to watch on YouTube.
Australian journalist Mark Lowe travelled from his home in Vladivostok, through Moscow and on to Lugansk, where he was able to sit down with Oscar Jenkins inside the prison where he is being held.
This is the first extended interview with Jenkins since his conviction and 13-year prison sentence in Russia. The interview has already attracted significant attention in Australia, with ABC News reporting on Jenkins’ account of why he travelled to Ukraine, his experiences with Ukrainian and foreign fighters, his time at the front and his capture.
The documentary goes beyond the headlines.
Jenkins speaks about why he decided to go to Ukraine, what he encountered when he arrived, the realities of fighting alongside foreign volunteers, money and motivation, his experiences on the front, injury, capture and his life as a prisoner.
At the centre of the story is also a question that remains unresolved: what should happen to Oscar Jenkins now?
The Australian Government maintains that Jenkins was a full serving member of the regular Armed Forces of Ukraine and should be treated as a prisoner of war under international humanitarian law. Russia has taken a different position, prosecuting him as a mercenary.
Rather than simply repeating either narrative, this documentary gives Jenkins an opportunity to speak for himself.
His story. His journey. His own words.
I also hope the documentary opens a wider and more honest debate about Oscar’s situation — the decisions that brought him to Ukraine, the consequences of becoming involved in a foreign war, and what Australia should do now.
Watch the full documentary
Watch “Oscar Jenkins: The Australian They Left Behind” on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CzAbGT_2yA&list=PLSKGzKEUCWNk
Please watch, share and join the debate.
— Mark Lowe
ILON News
