Testimony: M.Y.M.N.
Name: | M.Y.M.N. |
Age: | 15 |
Date: | 21 February 2020 |
Location: | Qalqilya, West Bank |
Accusation: | Throwing stones / Molotovs |
On 21 February 2020, a 15-year-old minor from Qalqiliya was arrested by Israeli soldiers during clashes at 5:00 p.m. and accused of throwing Molotov cocktails. He reports being denied his basic legal rights under Israeli military law. He was sentenced to 6 months in prison and fined NIS 2,000. He also received a suspended sentence.
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One of the soldiers asked me for my name and wanted to know how old I was. Then he asked me if I had an identity card and I told him I did not. Then he told me I should never ever throw stones at soldiers. He blindfolded me and tied my hands to the front with two plastic ties on top of each other. He tightened them hard and they were painful and left marks on my wrists for a long time.
I was then put in the back of a jeep where I sat on a seat. The jeep then drove to a nearby military base. At the military base I was left in a room for about three hours before being taken to the police station in Ariel settlement. At Ariel I was taken to a room where I was examined by a doctor who asked me questions about my health condition and removed the blindfold during the examination. About 30 minutes later I was taken for interrogation. It was around 10:00 p.m.
The interrogator wore an Israeli police uniform. He did not inform me of my rights and I did not speak to a lawyer. He asked me whether I threw stones at the soldiers with a sling shot which I denied. He also accused me of throwing a Molotov cocktail and I denied that. Then he wanted to know who was with me and I told him I was by myself. He questioned me for about an hour and in the end he showed me a document in Hebrew and asked me to sign it. I asked him to translate the document for me and when I realised it was identical to what I had told him I signed it.
After the interrogation I was taken to Megiddo prison, inside Israel where I was strip searched before being taken to the juvenile section. The following day I was taken to Salem military court. My parents did not attend the hearing because they were not informed and the hearing was adjourned and I was taken back to prison.
A few days later I was taken for another interrogation. The interrogator did not inform me of my rights and did not allow me to speak to a lawyer. He wanted to know why I threw stones at soldiers. Then he accused me of using a sling shot but I told him I did not. Then he accused me of throwing a Molotov cocktail at the soldiers. I denied the accusation.
This time I was questioned for about two hours. He wanted me to give him names of boys who throw stones at soldiers but I did not give any names. At the end of the interrogation he showed me a document in Hebrew and asked me to sign it. I asked him to translate it for me and when he did I signed. After the interrogation I waited in a small room and a short time later I was taken back to Megiddo prison.
I had three more military court hearings and at the last one I was sentenced to six months in prison and fined NIS 2,000. I was also given a suspended sentence of six months valid for three years.
I spent my imprisonment at Megiddo prison where I passed the time by helping keep the place tidy and clean and by helping in the kitchen. My parents did not visit me because of the Corona Virus regulations but the prison management provided telephones for us and I called my family once every two weeks for 10 minutes.
I was released on 18 August 2020, and I went home in a taxi because my parents were not informed of my release. The taxi took me to Al Jalama where I called my father and he met me there. I arrived home at around sunset.