Comparative graph
Statistics
Developments
Fact sheet
Newsletter
About us
Contact
Donate
 
Bookmark and Share
  change font size تصغير الخط تكبير الخط print
Home » Children »

Testimony: Z.M.H.R.

 

Name:  Z.M.H.R.
Age:  14
Date:  3 July 2018
Location:  Tuqu', West Bank
Accusation:  Throwing stones

On 3 July 2018, the father of a 14-year-old minor from Tuqu' was served with a written summons by Israeli soldiers at 2:00 a.m. for his son to attend an interrogation. The minor reports consulting with a lawyer prior to interrogation but not being informed of his right to silence by the interrogator. He reports being sentenced to 1 week in prison and fined NIS 1,500.

I woke up at around 2:00 a.m. to the sound of loud banging at our front door. My father opened the door and about 15 Israeli soldiers entered our home. They asked to see our identity cards and when they read my name they gave my father a summons for me to go to the police station in Etzion settlement later that morning. 
 
My father and I left the house at 7:30 a.m. At around 8:00 a.m. I was let into the police station but they did not allow my father to accompany me. I was immediately taken for interrogation.
 
As soon as I entered the interrogation room the interrogator tied my hands to the front with three plastic ties: one on each wrist and another connecting the two. The ties were not painful. Then he called a lawyer and allowed me to speak to him. The lawyer told me not to confess and not to worry. He also told me to remain silent. 
 
Then the interrogator started to question me about throwing stones without informing me of my rights. He showed me some photographs but I denied I was involved. Then he asked me to say where I was and what I was doing between Sunday and Friday. I told him I was with my father most of the time who owns a taxi and that I was in Bethlehem. The interrogation lasted for about three hours but I was left waiting most of the time. They would take me out of the interrogation room and bring me back in. During this time I did not confess.
 
After the interrogation I was strip searched and then I was taken into a cell in Etion where I waited for about two hours. Then I was taken to Ofer prison, near Jerusalem, where I was strip searched again before being taken to Section 13. 
 
The following day I was taken to the military court. My parents did not attend and the military judge decided to keep me in detention. I had three military court hearings. At the last hearing I was fined NIS 1,500 and was also served with a suspended sentence of six months valid for three years.
 
After the court I was taken back to prison and later that day I was released. I did not sign any documents but they took my fingerprints. I was released on 8 July 2018, and I went home with my father.