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: S.M.S.B.

 

Name: S.M.S.B.
Age: 14
Date: 3 July 2017
Location: Kafr Qaddum, West Bank
Accusation: Throwing stones

On 3 July 2017, a 14-year-old minor from Kafr Qaddum was arrested by Israeli soldiers from home at 4:30 a.m. and accused of throwing stones. 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 1,000 bail, 9 days after he was arrested. 

My mother woke me up at around 4:30 a.m. and told me Israeli soldiers were in our house. I got up and went to the living room and my father explained to me the soldiers had come to arrest me and my brother. The soldiers did not give a reason for my arrest and did not give us any documents.
 
The commander told me to get dressed while my father argued with him. My father told the commander I was too young to be arrested but the commander insisted on arresting me.
 
Once I was dressed the soldiers took me and my brother outside and tied our hands together with a plastic tie which was not painful. Then we were taken to the back of a jeep where I sat on the metal floor.
 
The jeep drove for about 15 minutes to a nearby military base where my brother and I were put in a shipping container. I sat on a chair and a doctor examined me. I was left there for about two hours and the whole time I was tied to my brother.
 
After about two hours we were taken back to the jeep which drove for about 30 minutes to the police station in Ariel settlement. On arrival at Ariel we were put in a courtyard where we waited. The soldiers untied us and took my brother for interrogation and about an hour later I was taken for interrogation.
 
I was interrogated for about 30 minutes. The interrogator did not inform me of my right to silence but he called a lawyer and allowed me to speak to him. The lawyer told me to remain silent. Then the interrogator accused me of throwing stones at soldiers and asked me what I was doing on 27 January 2017. I told him I did not remember. Then he showed me a photo and told me this was me throwing stones at soldiers. I denied that the person in the photo was me and denied the accusation.
 
Then he repeated the same accusation and told me it was better for me to confess. He also wanted me to confess against other boys and to give the names of boys who take part in protests and throw stones at soldiers. I told him I did not know anyone. Then he wanted to know how the boys felt about throwing stones at soldiers and I told him I had no idea. Then he told me he was going to take me into the courtyard and throw stones at me to make me experience how the soldiers feel when stones are thrown at them. Then he said it would be a better idea to throw a Molotov cocktail at me.
 
After 30 minutes the interrogator printed out my statement in Hebrew and asked me to sign it but I refused and told him I was not going to sign anything I did not understand. Then he took my photograph, fingerprints and a DNA sample from my mouth. I was then taken back to the courtyard where I sat on the ground for about 30 minutes.
 
After 30 minutes I was re-tied to my brother and we were both taken to a troop carrier which drove for about an hour to Huwwara military base. At Huwwara they removed the tie and I was strip-searched. After being searched I was taken to a cell where I remained for about two hours.
 
After about two hours my legs were shackled and I was handcuffed and taken to the back of a troop carrier where I sat on a seat. The troop carrier drove for about two hours to Megiddo prison, inside Israel. At Megiddo I was searched with my clothes on and then I was taken to the juvenile section.
 
While at Megiddo I had two military court hearings at Salem court. My parents did not attend the first hearing because they were not informed but they attended the second one and I was allowed to speak to them. At the second hearing the military court decided to release me on bail and my parents had to pay NIS 1,000 bail. I was released on 12 July 2017 and I went home with my parents.