I was playing with some friends on the main road at the entrance to Jericho. There is an Israeli military base near the entrance to Jericho and there were some soldiers about 20 meters away from where we were playing. It was around 5:15 p.m.

 

I was carrying a backpack which contained a knife which I use to cut fruit and vegetables. Suddenly about 10 soldiers approached me. I didn’t run away because I thought they might shoot me if I did. One of the soldiers grabbed me and pushed me to the ground and immediately blindfolded me. He also tied my hands to the back with one plastic tie and tightened it so it was very painful.

 

My face was in the dirt and I had soil in my mouth. I started to cough and was terrified and felt totally helpless. The soldiers then led me to the military base and threw me on the ground where I remained for about two hours. During this time soldiers approached me and made fun of me by laughing. I felt humiliated. I asked many times if I could use the toilet and have some water but they refused.

 

At around 7:30 p.m. I was taken to the back of a military jeep where I sat on the floor. The jeep drove for about 30 minutes to Ma’ale Adummim settlement where I was left on the floor of a room tied and blindfolded for about two hours. During this time my father was contacted and he came to attend my interrogation. As soon as my father arrived I was taken to the interrogation room where they removed the tie and the blindfold. By this time it was around 9:30 p.m.

 

The interrogator did not inform me of any rights. He accused me of possessing a knife and attempted murder. I denied all the accusations. My father intervened and the interrogator threatened to lock him up if he spoke again. The interrogator repeated the accusations again and again and threatened that if I didn’t confess he was going to put me in jail for a long time. He asked me what I was doing near the military base and claimed I was planning to stab a soldier because I had a knife with me. I denied the accusation and the interrogator lost his temper and started to speak loudly. The interrogation lasted for about 90 minutes.

 

At the end of the questioning the interrogator asked me to sign a document in Hebrew and I did even though I didn’t understand it. Then they took my photograph and my fingerprints and told my father I was going to be taken to Ofer prison and that I would appear before the military court the next day. My father then left.

 

About 30 minutes later I was shackled and handcuffed and taken to the back of a police car which took me to Ofer prison, near Jerusalem. At Ofer I was strip searched and taken into Section 13. I went to bed straight away.

 

At around 8:00 a.m. the following morning I was taken to Ofer military court. I waited while shackled until around 5:00 p.m. and my hearing was adjourned. The following day at around noon I was taken back to the military court again where I waited for about two hours. My father was in court and a charge sheet was presented which my lawyer rejected. In the end the court decided to release me immediately.

 

My parents had to pay a fine of NIS 10,000 and I was served with a suspended sentence of six months valid for five years if I am found in possession of a knife again. I was released about 30 minutes later and I went home with my father. We arrived home at around 5:00 p.m. on 20 September 2016.