On 26 July 2016, a 9-year-old minor from Zububa was detained by Israeli soldiers at 4:00 p.m. near the Wall and accused of throwing stones. Although below the age of criminal responsibility, he reports being questioned without being informed of his basic legal rights under Israeli military law. He reports being released 12 hours later. 

 

I was picking figs with some friend in a field near the Wall at around 4:00 p.m. There were older boys throwing stones at the Wall at the same time and then they ran away before some Israeli soldiers arrived.

           

When the soldiers arrived some of the younger boys started to run away and I joined them because I was scared. The soldiers quickly caught up with me and captured me. A soldier asked me why I was throwing stones at soldiers and I told him I wasn’t throwing stones at anyone.

 

The soldier then pointed to a group of boys they had already detained and asked me whether I saw any of them throwing stones at soldiers. He wanted me to give a confession against them but I told him I didn’t know them and didn’t see any of them throwing stones.

 

I was then taken to the back of a military jeep and the soldiers made me sit on the floor. Then I was blindfolded and the jeep drove away.

 

The jeep stopped at Salem checkpoint and I was taken to a courtyard and a soldier started to speak to me in Hebrew but I didn’t understand what he was saying. Another soldier translated for me and told me they wanted to know who of the boys was throwing stones with me. I told them I didn’t throw stones and didn’t see anyone throwing stones. The soldier wrote down what I told him on a piece of paper. He asked me for my name and took other personal details about me.

 

I was then put back in the jeep where I sat on a seat. The jeep drove for about 15 minutes to Al-Jalame checkpoint. When we arrived I was taken to a very dark room and they made me sit on the floor for about 30 minutes. Then I was taken to another room with computers and a TV screen. The soldiers brought me a mattress and allowed me to sleep.

 

At around 4:00 a.m., I was handed over to the Palestinian police. My father picked me up from the Palestinian police station and took me home. I arrived home at around 5:00 a.m.