I woke up to the sound of banging at our front door. It was around 3:00 a.m. My father opened the door while I remained in my bedroom. About seven Israeli soldiers entered our home and started to talk to my father.  I could not understand what they were saying. Then my father came into my bedroom and told me to get up and not to be scared.

 

Some soldiers followed my father into my bedroom and took a T-shirt from my wardrobe. Then they told my father they had photographic evidence of me throwing stones and told him they wanted to take me for questioning. They told my father he could accompany me to the police station. They checked my identity card and took me outside.

 

They took me and my father to the back of a jeep where I sat on a seat and the jeep took us to the military watchtower at Rachel’s Tomb. They kept us there for about two hours and then took us to Atarot police station, in East Jerusalem. At Atarot we waited in a small area for about four hours and then we were both taken to the interrogation room.

 

The interrogator, who was in civilian clothes, turned on a camera and a voice recorder and then told my father he was not allowed to speak during the interrogation. Then he told me I had the right to consult with a lawyer but he did not give me the opportunity to speak to one. Then, without informing me of my right to silence, the interrogator showed me photographs of clashes with soldiers during the funeral of a person from my village who was shot dead by an Israeli soldier. He accused me of taking part in the clashes and of throwing stones at soldiers during the funeral. I denied the accusation.

 

Then he showed me video footage of clashes and again accused me of taking part. He also pointed to other boys in the videos and wanted me to tell him their names. The interrogation lasted for about one-and-a-half hours and my father remained silent the whole time. Then in the end the interrogator told me to say good bye to my father and told me they were going to take me to Ofer prison. Then he told my father to leave.

 

Outside the interrogation room I was handcuffed with metal handcuffs and I was also shackled. Then I was taken to Ofer prison, near Jerusalem, where I was strip searched before being taken to section 13. 

 

Two days later I was taken to Ofer military court. My parents were there and the hearing was adjourned. I had four military court hearings and at the last one, which was on 21 November 2019, the military judge decided to release me on bail. My parents had to pay NIS 6,000 and I was released on the same day. I went home with my family and I arrived home at around 11:00 p.m. 

 

Since my release I have attended one military court hearing on 6 January 2020. The hearing was adjourned and the next hearing is scheduled on 30 May 2020. I am not sure this hearing will take place because of the Coronavirus.