Testimony: T.A.F.S.
Name: | T.A.F.S. |
Age: | 15 |
Date: | 7 August 2020 |
Location: | Beit Furik, West Bank |
Accusation: | Throwing stones / Pipe bombs |
On 7 August 2020, a 15-year-old minor from Balata refugee camp was arrested by Israeli soldiers at 5:00 p.m. near the Beit Furik checkpoint. He reports ill treatment and being denied his basic legal rights under Israeli military law. He was sentenced to 3 months in prison and also received a suspended sentence.
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At around 2:30 a.m. I was taken to Ariel settlement where I was left in a small room for about an hour before being taken for interrogation. It was around 3:30 or 4:00 a.m.
The interrogator removed the blindfold and tie and immediately asked me why I threw stones at soldiers. I denied the accusation. Then he accused me of possessing pipe bombs. I denied that accusation too. He questioned me without informing me of my rights and I did not have access to a lawyer before the interrogation.
He questioned me for about 30 minutes and at times he was calm and other times he was aggressive. He threatened if I did not confess he was going to throw me in prison for a long time. He also threatened to revoke my father’s work permit. At the end of the interrogation he told me I had the right to consult with a lawyer but he did not call a lawyer for me. Then he showed me documents in Hebrew and asked me to write my name on the document and I did.
After the interrogation I was taken to Huwwara military base where I was searched in my boxer shorts before being taken to a room by myself. I spent one night in the room and then I was taken to Megiddo prison, inside Israel, where I was again searched in my boxer shorts before being taken to the quarantine section used for the Corona Virus.
The following day I had a military court hearing by video link. I did not understand what was going on in the court but my lawyer told me the hearing was adjourned until another date. I had three military court hearings and at the last one I was sentenced in a plea bargain to three months in prison. I think they wanted my father to pay a fine but my father told the court he did not have any money and I think they pardoned him. I was also given another 19 months in prison suspended for three years. This included a suspended sentence from a previous imprisonment.
In prison I did not have any family visits because of the Corona Virus. I was allowed to make phone calls once every two weeks. I was released at Al Jalama checkpoint on 11 October 2020, and I went home with my brothers. We arrived home at around 8:00 p.m.