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Home » Children »

Testimony: M.A.K.U.

 

Name: M.A.K.U.
Age: 16
Date: 31 January 2021
Location: Qabatiya, West Bank
Accusation: Weapon possession

On 31 January 2021, a 16-year-old minor from Qabatiya was arrested by Israeli soldiers from home at 3:00 a.m. and accused of weapon possession. He reports ill treatment and being denied his basic legal rights under Israeli military law. He reports being held in solitary confinement for 15 days and 10 days. He was sentenced to 3 months in prison and fined NIS 1,000.

I was arrested from home at around 3:00 a.m. I was awake expecting to be arrested. The soldiers broke open two doors in our building, the one downstairs and another one upstairs. About 20 soldiers then entered our home. 
 
A soldier took me aside and started to question me without informing me of my rights.  He wanted me to hand over weapons he claimed were in my possession. When I told him I did not have any weapons he started to smash the furniture in the room. He broke the couch and the bed and then moved on to the bathroom and kitchen and broke cabinets and shelves. Then other soldiers came and started to ask me the same questions. This went on for about an hour. They also brought in a service dog which sniffed everything. 
 
Then, without giving my parents any documents, they took me outside where a soldier tied my hands to the front with three plastic ties: one on each wrist and another connecting the two. The ties were so tight that they cut into my wrists and I bled. They made me wait until they arrested another boy. The dog pushed me to the ground while waiting and I was terrified. Then they took me to the back of a jeep and made me sit on the metal floor. Inside the jeep a soldier blindfolded me.
 
The jeep drove to the nearby settlement of Dotan where I was left outdoors in the rain and cold weather until around 4:00 p.m. They did not bring me any food or drink and did not allow me to use the toilet. At around 4:00 p.m. I was driven to Al Jalama interrogation centre, in Israel. They wanted to strip search me but I refused to take off my clothes. Then they took me into a small cell where I spent 15 days in solitary confinement. 
 
The cell was my body length when I laid down on the floor. It had a toilet and a sink. It did not have any windows and I could not tell day from night. They left the light on 24 hours. I spent my time lying down trying to sleep. I thought falling asleep would stop me thinking and worrying, but I found it very hard to fall asleep. The following day I was taken for interrogation.
 
I did not speak to a lawyer prior to interrogation. The interrogator handcuffed me and asked me how I was. Then he told me I had the right to remain silent but warned me that remaining silent would go against me in court. He said remaining silent would be seen as an admission of guilt. Then he accused me of weapons possession. He also accused me of planning a terrorist act and wanted to know why. When I denied the accusations, he yelled at me and accused me of lying. Then he spat in my face. He questioned me for about an hour then he asked me to sign a document written in Hebrew but I refused to sign.
 
I was interrogated about 13 times during my time at Al Jalama. At no time was I allowed to speak to a lawyer and I was only informed of my right to silence at the first interrogation. One of the interrogators was very aggressive with me. He threatened to arrest my father and mother. He also threatened to drive me back to my village to make me look like a collaborator. I was terrified but thankfully, he did not carry out this threat. 
 
Fifteen days later I was taken to another cell with another boy. The two of us were there for another 15 days. During this time, I had many military court hearings, once every two days. I think I had about 17 hearings throughout this period. At the last one, which was sometime in March, I was sentenced in a plea bargain to three months in prison and fined NIS 1,000. I was also given eight months in prison suspended for three years. I accepted the plea bargain based on my lawyer’s advice.
 
After spending 30 days at Al Jalama I was transferred to Megiddo prison, also in Israel, where I was searched in my clothes. I spent three months at Megiddo. Then, one day before I was supposed to be released I was transferred to a small cell at Petah Tikva interrogation centre, in Israel. I had no idea why they took me there and I was in deep distress. I went crazy by myself not understanding what was going on. I banged the door hysterically wanting to get out. They did not bring me enough food and I could not take it.
 
The following day I was taken for interrogation. The interrogator phoned a lawyer and allowed me to speak to him. The lawyer told me my cousin had been arrested a few days earlier and he gave a confession against me. The lawyer told me to continue to deny the accusations. The conversation lasted for about 5 minutes and the interrogator was not listening. 
 
Then the interrogator told me I had the right to remain silent. Then he swore at me and called me a liar. Then he accused me of weapons possession. I denied the accusation. He slapped me on the back of my neck and caused me a lot of pain. He questioned me for about an hour and wanted me to sign a document written in Hebrew but I refused to sign. 
 
I spent 10 more days in solitary confinement at Petah Tikva. During this time I was interrogated on a daily basis and my spirit was crushed. I did not speak to any lawyers apart from the first interrogation and I continued to refuse to sign documents written in Hebrew. Those 10 days were the most difficult in my entire life.
 
At my last military court hearing, which was on 15 June 2021, I was sentenced in another plea bargain to three more months in prison and another eight months suspended for five years. This time my parents were not fined. I accepted the plea bargain because I was afraid they might give me an administrative detention order.
 
Then I was transferred to Megiddo prison where I spent the rest on my prison sentence. In prison I helped in the kitchen and cooked for the other prisoners to pass the time. I did not have any family visits because of the Corona Virus regulations but I was allowed to call home from a telephone provided by the prison authorities twice a month. 
 
I was released at Salem checkpoint on 5 July 2021, and I went home with my relatives. I went to my aunt’s house at first because she had organized a party for me. I arrived there at around 5:00 p.m. 
 
This testimony was produced with the financial support of the German Federal Foreign Office. Its contents are the sole responsibility of Military Court Watch.