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Home » Children »

Testimony: M.H.M.H.

 

Name: M.H.M.H.
Age: 12
Date: 9 April 2018
Location: Azzun, West Bank
Accusation: Throwing Molotov cocktails

On 9 April 2018, a 12-year-old minor from Azzun was detained by Israeli soldiers at 4:00 p.m. on a street in his village and accused of throwing Molotov cocktails. He reports ill treatment and being denied his basic legal rights under Israeli military law. He reports being sentenced to 16 days in prison and fined NIS 1,100. He also received a suspended sentence. 

I was on the main street in my village when Israeli soldiers set up a flying checkpoint. It was around 4:00 p.m. I think there were clashes with soldiers earlier that day and they wanted to teach the village a lesson. 
 
Two soldiers approached me and told me an informant had confessed against me and soldiers had seen me with a Molotov cocktail. They also told me they had photographic evidence against me. I denied being involved in anything. Then the soldiers wanted to arrest me and I tried to run away but they chased me and beat me up. I was then taken to the back of a jeep where I sat on a seat. 
 
Once inside the jeep I was blindfolded and my hands were tied to the front with four plastic ties: two on each wrist and the four were connected together like a chain. The ties caused me a lot of pain. I banged my head inside the jeep and I was in shock. 
 
The jeep drove to the police station in Qedumim settlement. At the police station I was examined by a doctor who removed the blindfold and asked me some medical questions. Then I was blindfolded again and I was taken to the police station in Ariel settlement. I arrived there at around 9:00 p.m. At Ariel I waited in a room, tied and blindfolded, until around 2:00 a.m. when I was taken for interrogation.
 
The interrogator was dressed in civilian clothes and spoke to me via an interpreter. Two other people were in the room with him. There was also a camera. He removed the blindfold and did not inform me of any rights. He asked me what I was doing in his office. I told him I had no idea because the soldiers arrested me and brought me to his office. Then he showed me a photo of me standing on the street by an olive tree doing nothing. Then he told me I was in the area throwing stones. I denied the accusation. Then he showed me a photo of a boy with a Molotov cocktail in his hand. Then he kicked me on my legs and wanted me to confess but I did not confess to anything.
 
At the end of the interrogation he asked me if I wanted to speak to a lawyer and I told him I did not. I was afraid he might ask me to speak to someone pretending to be a lawyer; I just did not want to risk it. He did not say anything about my right to silence. Then he showed me a document in Arabic and asked me to sign it and I did after I read it and realised it was my statement. He brought me other documents in Hebrew and asked me to sign them but I refused to sign the Hebrew documents. 
 
After the interrogation I was re-blindfolded and taken to Huwwara military base. I was searched in my underwear and then taken into a cell where I sat on a metal bed. I tried to sleep but I could not because there was a stench in the room. The ties and the blindfold were removed. I was left in the room until around 7:00 a.m. when I was given chocolate milk, a cucumber and two biscuits. 
 
After I ate I was handcuffed to the front and my legs shackled and taken in a troop carrier to Megiddo prison, inside Israel. I arrived there at around 10:00 a.m. At Megiddo I was searched in my underwear again and I waited in a room until around 4:00 p.m. when I was taken to the juvenile section.
 
The following day I was taken to the military court in Salem. My brother was in court and many lawyers were there but I did not know which one of them was my lawyer. The hearing was adjourned and I was taken back to Megiddo. I had three military court hearings. 
 
At the last hearing I was sentenced in a plea bargain to 16 days in prison and fined NIS 1,100. I was also given a suspended sentence but I don’t know the details. My father accepted the plea bargain because he was tired of leaving his work to attend court hearings. They took up all his time.
 
I spent my entire sentence in Megiddo prison. In prison there was not much to do but I liked making Knafeh from bread crumbs and goat cheese. I was released on 25 April 2018, at around 4:00 p.m. I went home with my parents who were waiting for me at Al Jalama checkpoint. I arrived home at around 7:00 p.m. and all my friends came to our house to welcome me back.