Testimony: H.N.M.J.
Name: | H.N.M.J. |
Age: | 9 |
Date of incident: | 26 July 2016 |
Location: | Zububa, West Bank |
Accusation: | Throwing stones/cutting the fence |
On 26 July 2016, a 9-year-old minor from Zububa was detained by Israeli soldiers near the Wall and accused of throwing stones and cutting the fence. Although below the age of criminal responsibility, he reports being questioned without being informed of his basic legal rights under Israeli military law. He reports being released 13 hours later.
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I was then taken to the back of a military jeep where the soldiers wanted me sit on the floor but I refused and sat on the seat. The jeep drove to a nearby military base where I was taken out of the jeep. The soldiers made me sit on a pile of concrete for about an hour.
Two soldiers then started to question me. One of them spoke only Hebrew so I didn’t understand what he was saying. The other one translated for me. They wanted to know the names of the boys who were throwing stones and cutting the barbed wire. I told them I didn’t know anyone. They accused me of lying and told me I knew who tried to cut through the barbed wire. I told them I didn’t see anyone because I was picking figs and playing with my friends.
Then they took my personal details but didn’t write them down. Then I was taken to a room with cameras and computers where they removed the blindfold and took a photograph of me using a mobile phone. Then I was blindfolded again. Soldiers then brought some food and mattresses and told me and the other boys with me we could sleep.
I couldn’t sleep because I was scared. I remained in the room until around 4:00 a.m. when I was told I was going to be released. I was handed over to the Palestinian police and then I went home with my father and brother.