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Home » Children »

Testimony: M.D.M.A.

 

Name: M.D.M.A.
Age: 14
Date: 9 August 2017
Location: Tuqu', West Bank
Accusation: Throwing stones

On 9 August 2017, a 14-year-old minor from Tuqu' was arrested by Israeli soldiers at 2:00 a.m. and accused of throwing stones. He reports ill treatment. He reports consulting with a lawyer prior to interrogation but not being informed of his right to silence by the interrogator. He reports being released on NIS 2,000 bail, 3 weeks after his arrest. 

I was working at the bakery when Israeli soldiers raided at around 2:00 a.m. They dragged me outside and took me home where I found out they had come to the house earlier looking for me. They told my father they wanted to arrest me without telling us why. I did not see them give my father any written documents. Then they told my father they wanted to take him too.
 
They took me outside our house where they blindfolded me and tied my hands to the front with three plastic ties: one on each wrist and one connecting the two. The ties were tight. The soldiers then led me towards the centre of the village and put me in the back of a jeep and made me sit on the floor. They put my father in another jeep. The jeep drove towards the military watchtower at the entrance to our village.
 
At the military watchtower I was taken out of the jeep and a doctor examined me. I complained to the doctor about the ties but he did not do anything. I was taken back to the jeep which drove for about 30 minutes to a nearby military base.
 
On arrival at the military base I was taken to a courtyard where I sat on the ground until around 10:00 a.m. Then I was taken back to the jeep which drove for about 30 minutes to the police station in Etzion settlement.
 
At Etzion I sat on the ground for about two more hours and then I was taken for interrogation at around 12:30 p.m.
 
My father was also taken to Etzion but he was not allowed to attend the interrogation. The interrogator removed my blindfold and the ties. He did not inform me of my right to silence, instead he told me I had to speak. Then he called a lawyer and allowed me to speak to him. The lawyer advised me not to confess and not to sign any documents. He also told me he would see me in court.
 
Then the interrogator accused me of throwing stones at soldiers and said there were confessions against me from boys who claimed I was throwing stones with them. When I denied the accusation the interrogator slapped and punched me. He also verbally abused me and called me a "brother of a fucking whore". Then he repeated the accusation and I continued to deny it. I was interrogated for about 90 minutes.
 
At the end of the interrogation the interrogator printed out my statement in Hebrew and convinced me to sign it by saying it was identical to what I had told him and that signing the document was necessary for transferring me to prison. Then he took my photograph and fingerprints. I was then strip-searched and taken to a cell at Etzion where I remained for about two hours.
 
After about two hours some soldiers shackled my legs and handcuffed me to the front and took me to a troop carrier which drove to Ofer prison, near Jerusalem. At Ofer I was strip-searched again and taken to Section 13.
 
The following day I was taken to Ofer military court. My parents were not there because they were not notified but my lawyer was present and the hearing was adjourned. My parents attended the second hearing and I was allowed to speak to them. I had about six military court hearings.
 
On the last military court hearing the military judge decided to release me on bail and my parents had to pay NIS 2,000. I was released on 31 August 2017. My next hearing is on 11 September 2017.