Testimony: H.K.Q.
Name: | H.K.Q. |
Age: | 14 |
Date of incident: | 7 September 2015 |
Location: | Tura, West Bank |
Accusation: | Throwing stones |
On 6 September 2015, a 14-year-old minor from Tura was arrested by Israeli soldiers at 6:00 p.m. on his way to the shops and accused of throwing stones. He reports ill treatment and being denied his basic legal rights under Israeli military law. He reports being released without charge over 7 hours later.
I was arrested from the main road at around 6:00 p.m. I was on my way to the store to buy some things when suddenly two Israeli military jeeps appeared and some boys began to throw stones at them. I fled and entered a shop. Some soldiers followed me into the shop and arrested me.
Immediately after my arrest one of the soldiers struck me hard with the back of his gun and I fell. A soldier then grabbed me by the arm which left bruises. I was in pain. My hands were then tied behind my back with three plastic ties: one on each wrist and one connecting the two. They also blindfolded me and took me to a jeep and made me sit on the metal floor.
The soldiers beat me inside the jeep. The jeep then drove towards the nearby settlement of Shaked which also has a military base.
On arrival at the settlement I was taken to a small room measuring around 2 x 2 meters and made to sit on the floor. Some soldiers entered the room and told me I had to confess that I threw stones at soldiers and that if I didn't they were going to lock me up in prison for six months and would beat me and throw me off the roof and pluck my fingernails. I told the soldiers I didn't throw stones at anyone. The soldiers did not write a statement or anything and I felt they wanted to scare me.
The soldiers left and I remained in the room by myself. I was still blindfolded and tied. I remained in the room until around 1:00 a.m. when I was taken back to a jeep. This time I sat on a seat.
The jeep drove for about 15 minutes and then stopped and I was taken out of the jeep and the ties and the blindfold were removed. I realized I was at Salem military base. About 15 minutes later the Palestinian police arrived and I was released. My father was waiting for me and I went with him to the police station in Jenin where I gave a statement. I arrived home with my father at around 2:30 a.m.