Testimony: M.G.M.S.
Name: | M.G.M.S. |
Age: | 17 |
Date: | 1 March 2019 |
Location: | Askar, West Bank |
Accusation: | Throwing Molotov |
On 1 March 2019, a 17-year-old minor from Askar refugee camp was arrested by Israeli soldiers near an Israeli settlement at noon and accused of throwing a Molotov cocktail. He reports being informed of his right to silence but not consulting with a lawyer prior to interrogation. He reports being sentenced to 26 days in prison and fined NIS 2,000. He also received a suspended sentence.
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One soldier grabbed me and immediately tied my hands behind my back with one plastic tie which was tight and painful. Then he blindfolded me and led me for about 15 minutes on foot. After 15 minutes I was put in the back of a jeep which was waiting and I sat on a seat.
The jeep drove to the police station in Ariel settlement where I waited for a couple of hours on a chair in a room. They removed the tie and gave me some food and around sunset I was taken for interrogation.
The interrogator removed the blindfold and told me I had to consult with a lawyer but I told him there was no need for a lawyer. He also told me I had the right to remain silent. Then he asked me who threw the Molotov cocktail at the settlement and I told him I did not know. Then he asked me for the names of the other boys who were with me and I told him I did not know. Then he accused me of throwing a Molotov cocktail and I denied the accusation.
He interrogated me for about an hour and he was calm and did not shout. He repeated the accusation several times and I continued to deny it. Then he showed me documents in Hebrew and asked me to sign them but I refused to sign.
After the interrogation I was taken to Huwwara military base where I was searched in my underwear before being taken taken to a cell. They removed the tie and gave me some food. I was left in the cell until around 3:00 p.m. the following day when I was taken to Megiddo prison, inside Israel.
At Megiddo I was searched with my clothes on and I was taken to section 3. The following day I was taken to Salem military court. My parents did not know there was a hearing so they did not attend court. I was denied bail and I was taken back to prison.
On the third day I was taken for another interrogation at Salem. The interrogator allowed me to speak to my family and told me I had the right to remain silent. He repeated the same accusation and I continued to deny it. I did not consult with a lawyer. After the interrogation I was taken back to the military court and the hearing was adjourned.
In all I had four military court hearings and at the last one the court was satisfied with the time I had already spent in prison and the judge decided to release me. My family was fined NIS 2,000. I was also given a suspended sentence of six months valid for three years. I was released on the 27 March 2019, and I went home with my father.