Comparative graph
Statistics
Developments
Fact sheet
Newsletter
About us
Contact
Donate
 
Bookmark and Share
  change font size تصغير الخط تكبير الخط print
Home » Children »

Testimony: M.Y.M.G.

 

Name: M.Y.M.G.
Age: 17
Date of incident: 25 October 2016
Location: Al 'Arrub camp, West Bank
Accusation: Throwing stones/Molotovs
 
On 25 October 2016, a 17-year-old minor from Al 'Arrub refugee camp was arrested by Israeli soldiers from home at 2:30 a.m. and accused of throwing stones. He reports ill treatment and being denied his basic legal rights under Israeli military law. He reports being sentenced to 40 days in prison and fined NIS 2,000.
 
I woke up at around 2:30 a.m. to the sound of loud banging on our front door. Shortly afterwards Israeli soldiers entered our house and asked my father for me. I identified myself and the soldiers checked my identity card. Then the commander told me to get dressed and to say goodbye to my family because I was under arrest. I was not given any reasons for my arrest.
 
I was then taken outside where the soldiers blindfolded me and tied my hands to the front with three plastic ties: one on each wrist and one connecting the two. The ties were not tight or painful. Then I was put in the back of a jeep and made me sit on the floor.   
 
The jeep drove for about 30 minutes to the settlement of Kiryat Arba where I was put in a shipping container. I sat on a chair inside the container until around 8:00 a.m. and I could not sleep. The soldiers allowed me to use the toilet but they did not bring me any food.
 
At around 8:00 a.m. I was taken back to the jeep where I sat on the floor again. The jeep drove for about an hour to the settlement of Etzion where I was taken for a medical examination. The doctor removed the blindfold and asked me some questions about my medical condition and then blindfolded me again. Then I was put in a courtyard where I sat on a chair until around 10:00 a.m. when I was taken for interrogation.
 
The interrogator removed the blindfold and the ties and started to interrogate me and accused me of throwing Molotov cocktail at soldiers. He did not at first inform me of any rights. Half way through the interrogation he told me I had the right to consult with a lawyer and he called a lawyer and allowed me to speak to him. The lawyer told me to remain silent but the interrogator never did.
 
The interrogator again accused me of throwing a Molotov cocktail at soldiers and told me there were confessions against me by other boys and he named the boys. Then he showed me some pictures of someone throwing stones but I denied that it was me and I told him I did not throw stones or Molotov cocktails at anyone. When I said this the interrogator lost his temper and became very angry and punched me in the face. He shouted to scare me. I was interrogated for about 30 minutes.
 
After the first interrogation I was taken to see a policeman who informed me of my right to silence and my right to consult with a lawyer. He asked me the same questions and accused me of the same accusation which I continued to deny. Then he printed out my statement in Hebrew and asked me to sign it but I refused. Then he took my photograph and fingerprints and took me to a courtyard where I sat out in the sun for about 30 minutes. After 30 minutes I was strip searched and taken into a cell where I remained until around 1:00 a.m.
 
At around 1:00 a.m. I was shackled and handcuffed and taken to the back of a police car where I sat on a seat. The car drove for about an hour to Ofer prison, near Jerusalem. At Ofer I was strip searched again and then taken to Section 13.
 
A few days later I was taken to Ofer military court. My parents did not attend because they were not informed and the hearing was adjourned. I had about 10 more military court hearings which my parents and my lawyer attended and I was allowed to speak to them. At the last hearing I was sentence in a plea bargain to 40 days in prison and fined NIS 2,000. My lawyer told me it was in my interest to accept the plea bargain and I took his advice.
 
I was released from Ofer prison on 5 December 2016.