Ruth Sherlock

It was night by this point. He says the workers were told not to touch their phones or even smoke a cigarette. The officers wanted pitch darkness.

It was night by this point. He says the workers were told not to touch their phones or even smoke a cigarette. The officers wanted pitch darkness.

It was night by this point. He says the workers were told not to touch their phones or even smoke a cigarette. The officers wanted pitch darkness.

Abu Fadi watched as the funeral workers pulled the corpses from the trucks into the trenches he'd made. Then the security officers ordered a man operating a bulldozer to cover the filled trenches with soil.

Abu Fadi watched as the funeral workers pulled the corpses from the trucks into the trenches he'd made. Then the security officers ordered a man operating a bulldozer to cover the filled trenches with soil.

Abu Fadi watched as the funeral workers pulled the corpses from the trucks into the trenches he'd made. Then the security officers ordered a man operating a bulldozer to cover the filled trenches with soil.

But the intelligence officials ordered him to continue. They told him to roll on the exposed corpses, to flatten them into the trench.

But the intelligence officials ordered him to continue. They told him to roll on the exposed corpses, to flatten them into the trench.

But the intelligence officials ordered him to continue. They told him to roll on the exposed corpses, to flatten them into the trench.

Soon, regime officials called Abu Fadi again, this time to an area of flat scrubland near the town of Kotefa, outside of Damascus. He became one of the workers creating a new mass grave. For a year and three months, he says, he was told to dig new trenches. He says he believed it was too dangerous to refuse.

Soon, regime officials called Abu Fadi again, this time to an area of flat scrubland near the town of Kotefa, outside of Damascus. He became one of the workers creating a new mass grave. For a year and three months, he says, he was told to dig new trenches. He says he believed it was too dangerous to refuse.

Soon, regime officials called Abu Fadi again, this time to an area of flat scrubland near the town of Kotefa, outside of Damascus. He became one of the workers creating a new mass grave. For a year and three months, he says, he was told to dig new trenches. He says he believed it was too dangerous to refuse.

Abu Fadi's own brother was disappeared by the regime, and he was a soldier in the Syrian army, so Abu Fadi doesn't know why he was taken. He eventually learned his brother had been jailed in Sednaya, the detention centres where prisoners were executed in groups. And then Abu Fadi had no more news. In searching for your brother, did you go to the mass grave site?

Abu Fadi's own brother was disappeared by the regime, and he was a soldier in the Syrian army, so Abu Fadi doesn't know why he was taken. He eventually learned his brother had been jailed in Sednaya, the detention centres where prisoners were executed in groups. And then Abu Fadi had no more news. In searching for your brother, did you go to the mass grave site?

Abu Fadi's own brother was disappeared by the regime, and he was a soldier in the Syrian army, so Abu Fadi doesn't know why he was taken. He eventually learned his brother had been jailed in Sednaya, the detention centres where prisoners were executed in groups. And then Abu Fadi had no more news. In searching for your brother, did you go to the mass grave site?

He says he took his brother's photo to the manager of the site and showed other grave diggers. He asked them if they'd seen him among the dead. As we speak, I notice that Abu Fadi rarely references the former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad by name. Is it hard to say? Is it strange to talk about his name to the media?

He says he took his brother's photo to the manager of the site and showed other grave diggers. He asked them if they'd seen him among the dead. As we speak, I notice that Abu Fadi rarely references the former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad by name. Is it hard to say? Is it strange to talk about his name to the media?

He says he took his brother's photo to the manager of the site and showed other grave diggers. He asked them if they'd seen him among the dead. As we speak, I notice that Abu Fadi rarely references the former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad by name. Is it hard to say? Is it strange to talk about his name to the media?

As we wrap up our interview, Abou Fadi agrees to take us to the site of the mass grave he helped to dig. So the next day we head out there. No one knows for sure, but it's thought tens of thousands of people could be buried here. At the site, Fadi walks along the barely visible traces of the trenches he says he dug. Abou Fadi

As we wrap up our interview, Abou Fadi agrees to take us to the site of the mass grave he helped to dig. So the next day we head out there. No one knows for sure, but it's thought tens of thousands of people could be buried here. At the site, Fadi walks along the barely visible traces of the trenches he says he dug. Abou Fadi