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Home » Children »

Testimony: S.B.A.T.

 

Name:  S.B.A.T.
Age:  11
Date:  28 September 2018
Location:  An Nabi Saleh, West Bank
Accusation:  Throwing stones

On 28 September 2018, an 11-year-old minor from An Nabi Saleh was detained by Israeli soldiers at 5:30 p.m. outside a shop in his village and accused of throwing stones. He reports being denied his basic legal rights under Israeli military law even though he was below the minimum age of criminal responsibility. He reports being released over 4 hours later. 

I went to the shop near our house to buy some sweets at around 5:30 p.m. I was not aware that at the time there were clashes going on between Israeli soldiers and villagers near the military watchtower at the entrance to our village. 
 
When I arrived outside the shop I saw a group of about 12 soldiers running towards me. At the time I was with two other boys. I was startled to see the soldiers and I ran away. Before I could get very far a military jeep pulled over and detained me and my friend.
 
A soldier aggressively grabbed me by the shoulder and pushed me to the ground where I fell on some prickly bushes. The soldier immediately tied my hands to the front with three plastic ties: one on each wrist and another connecting the two. The tie on my right wrist was tight and painful.
 
The soldier then threw me into the back of the jeep where I sat on a seat. Inside the jeep I was blindfolded and the jeep drove away. Then the jeep stopped and I heard the voices of my mother and cousin who tried to get me released. The soldiers shouted at them and told them to go away. 
 
The jeep then drove a short distance and stopped again. A soldier removed the blindfold and I could see we were in a military base. I saw barbed wire and tents and soldiers. I was blindfolded again and taken to a courtyard where I waited for about an hour before being taken inside. 
 
Once inside a soldier removed the blindfold and asked me why I throw stones at soldiers. I told him I was at the shop and did not throw stones at soldiers. Then he told me that my village is dangerous for soldiers and that we endanger their lives.
 
Then the soldier wanted to know who else was throwing stones with me. I told him again I was not throwing stones. He accused me of lying and told me he was sure I knew the names of the boys who were throwing stones because they were all from my village. I told him the soldiers have arrested all the boys in my village and there was no one left to throw stones.. The soldier questioned me for about five minutes but did tell me I had any rights.
 
After the questioning I was blindfolded again and taken outside where I sat on the ground for about 30 minutes. After 30 minutes I was taken to a jeep where the air conditioner was turned on and I felt very cold. Then I was taken to a room which was also freezing cold and I was shivering. 
 
About an hour later a soldier removed my ties and the blindfold and told me I was going to be handed over to the Palestinian police. I was taken back to the jeep and handed over to the Palestinian police who took me to the Palestinian police station in Ramallah.  My father was waiting for me there and he took me home. 
 
I arrived home at around 11:00 p.m. and I was so tired that I fell asleep on the couch without dinner. I so badly wanted to be home in time for the release of my older brother from prison. He was released the following day and I was very happy to be home for the celebration.