Testimony: A.J.
| Name: | A.J. |
| Age: | 15 |
| Date of incident: | 11 April 2013 |
| Location: | Al 'Arrub, West Bank |
| Accusation: | Throwing stones / Molotov cocktails |
On 11 April 2013, a 15-year-old boy from the Al 'Arrub refugee camp was arrested by Israeli soldiers at 3:00 a.m. He reports ill-treatment and being denied his basic legal rights under Israeli military law. He reports spending 10 days in detention before being released on bail of NIS 2,000.
I was still awake when I heard a knock at our front door. It was 3:00 a.m. My father opened the door and five Israeli soldiers entered our home. My father called for me and I went to him. A soldier asked me for my name and then asked me why I threw stones. I told him I didn’t throw stones. He then asked me to get dressed because I was under arrest. I was taken out of our house to a waiting military jeep. When we got to the jeep my hands were tied behind my back with three plastic ties and I was blindfolded. I was then pushed into the vehicle and made to sit on the floor. The soldiers in the vehicle slapped and kicked me along the way. I was taken to the nearby settlement of Etzion.
On arrival at Etzion I was given a medical examination before being taken for interrogation. I didn’t see a lawyer before I was interrogated and no one told me anything about my rights.
The interrogator introduced himself as 'Orna’. He asked me if I threw stones and I said no. He then accused me of throwing many stones, Molotov cocktails and paint at settler and military vehicles. I denied the accusations. I didn’t confess and I didn’t sign anything.
After the interrogation was over I was then taken to a cell in Etzion and later to Ofer prison, near Jerusalem. During the next nine days I was taken to the military court every two days or so. The military judge kept adjourning the case and I didn’t know what was going on. I had not seen a lawyer in all this time. No one explained to me what the issue was. I was told the name of a lawyer who was representing me but I never met or talked to him. I was given a number but his mobile was out of service each time I tried calling.
I was released on 21 April 2013, nine days after my arrest. I think my lawyer accepted a plea bargain agreement on my behalf. My family had to pay NIS 2,000 for my release on bail. I had a court hearing on 11 July 2013 but the court clerk told me my name wasn’t listed when I showed up, so I left and went back home. I don’t know what my situation is now.
