Testimony: K.M.F.T.
Name: | K.M.F.T. |
Age: | 14 |
Date of incident: | 18 April 2016 |
Location: | Beit Fajjar, West Bank |
Accusation: | Throwing stones |
On 18 April 2016, a 14-year-old minor from Beit Fajjar was detained by Israeli soldiers at 6:00 p.m. during clashes at the entrance to his village. He reports ill treatment and being denied his basic legal rights under Israeli military law. He reports being sentenced to 1 month in prison and fined NIS 1,500.
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The soldiers accused me of having a connection to a pipe bomb they found on the side of the road. I denied having anything to do with it. A soldier slapped me lightly and tied my hands in front of me with three plastic ties: one on each wrist and one connecting the two. The ties were not tight. They also blindfolded me and made me kneel on the side of the road for about an hour.
After an hour I was put in the back of a police jeep where I sat on a seat. The jeep drove for about 15 minutes and stopped at Etzion settlement where I was immediately taken for interrogation. It was around 7:30 p.m.
The interrogator removed my blindfold but kept me tied and immediately accused me of throwing a pipe bomb at soldiers which I denied. I told him I had no idea what he was talking about. He did not inform me of any rights and I was questioned for about one hour.
I was then taken to see an Israeli policeman in another room who repeated the same accusation which he recorded. He also typed up a statement. In the end I denied throwing a pipe bomb but I confessed to throwing stones at soldiers. He then printed out my statement in Hebrew and asked me to sign it and I did without understanding what it said. The interrogator called my father and told him I was at Etzion and that I needed a lawyer. He then took my photograph and my fingerprints.
After the interrogation I was blindfolded and taken to the back of a troop carrier where I sat on a chair. The carrier drove for about an hour to Ofer prison, near Jerusalem. At Ofer I was told by a soldier to go back to the troop carrier which then drove me back to Etzion. They told me there was a mistake with my name. I was taken back to Etzion.
On arrival back at Etzion I was taken to a room where I sat on the floor for about five hours. I was tied and blindfolded the whole time. I asked to use the toilet but the soldiers refused. I was given some water. Some soldiers came in and kicked and slapped me.
At around 8:00 a.m. I was taken to Ofer prison again. I arrived there at around 9:30 a.m. At Ofer I was strip searched and taken into the juvenile section.
The following day I was taken to Ofer military court. My parents did not attend because they were not notified but a lawyer was there. The hearing was adjourned. At the next hearing I was sentenced to one month in prison and fined NIS 1,500. I was released on 5 May 2016, a couple of weeks early. I went home with another boy who was released on the same day. We arrived home at around 11:00 p.m.