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Home » Children »

Testimony: M.I.A.H.

 

Name: M.I.A.H.
Age: 13
Date: 7 May 2018
Location: Azzun, West Bank
Accusation: Throwing stones

On 7 May 2018, a 13-year-old minor from Azzun was detained by Israeli soldiers at 5:00 p.m. while inside a shop in his town and accused of throwing stones. He reports being denied his basic legal rights under Israeli military law. He reports being released without charge over 8 hours after he was detained. 

I was at a local store when I saw a patrol of Israeli soldiers on the street and I started to film them on my mobile phone. It was around 5:00 p.m. Then, without any notice, the soldiers came over and accused me of throwing stones at them. I was terrified and before I knew it I was thrown into the back of a jeep. 
 
Once inside the jeep the soldiers started to shout at me and ask me why I threw stones at them. They drove towards the gate at the entrance to the village where they blindfolded me. A soldier inspected my hands for traces of petrol and dirt. Then they drove around town and then went back to the entrance where my father was waiting. He had a jacket for me and pleaded with the soldiers to allow me to put it on because it was cold. They finally agreed.
 
Shortly afterwards lots of people gathered, mostly my family. They tried to convince the soldiers to release me. I was inside the jeep at the entrance to the village for about two hours. Inside the jeep a soldier took lots of photos of me. He raised his voice at me and took my mobile phone. 
 
After about two hours the jeep drove out of town to a place I did not recognise, it may have been a nearby settlement. There I was examined by a doctor who removed the blindfold and put it back on when he was finished. Then I was taken for interrogation.
 
There were two interrogators in the room. One of them spoke good Arabic. He removed the blindfold and asked me whether I wanted to go home. He did not inform me of my rights. When I told him I wanted to go home he told me I had to give him the names of the boys in the photos he showed me before he could send me home. I told him I did not know the boys. 
 
One interrogator left the room many times and took his time questioning me. The whole process took about two hours. During this time the interrogator banged the table and accused me of telling lies, but I did not confess. Then he showed me documents in Hebrew and asked me to write my name. I wrote my name on the document without realising that writing my name is considered a signature. 
 
Then I was re-blindfolded and taken back to the jeep where I sat on a seat. The jeep took me back to the entrance to my village. The soldiers dropped me off and told me to go home. It was around 1:30 a.m., on 8 May 2018, and I was scared. It was very dark and nobody was on the streets. I walked home by myself. 
 
My mother was awake worrying about me; she told me she could not fall asleep but she was very happy to see me back at home. I slept until 2:00 p.m. as I was very tired. I missed my science exam which I was supposed to take on that day and I have to arrange with my teacher to reschedule it.