I was herding goats near our house close to the Wall at around noon. My mother was with me and she sent me home to return a cooking pot. When I arrived home a number of boys were yelling abuse at Israeli soldiers who were on a foot patrol. I then realised there were some masked soldiers laying an ambush under the trees which I was approaching.

 

I was scared and tried to run away but the soldiers chased and caught me. It was around noon. One of the soldiers immediately beat me and pushed me to the ground with my face down. Another soldier tried to slip a sling shot in my pocket but I took it out and told him it wasn’t mine. Then they handcuffed my hands behind my back. The cuffs were tight.

 

They then forced me into the back of a jeep and made me to sit on the floor. The jeep drove for about 30 minutes. When we stopped I was taken to a room and made to sit on a seat for about 30 minutes. They brought me a sandwich and some water and tea but I refused to eat. I was then taken to a jeep where I sat in the front. The jeep drove for about 30 minutes to Atarot police station in East Jerusalem.

 

On arrival at Atarot I was taken to a room and the handcuffs were removed. About 30 minutes later I was taken for interrogation.

 

The interrogator had a tape recorder in front of him. Before interrogating me he asked for my father’s number but I could not remember it. He told me I had the right to speak to a lawyer but I told him I didn’t know any lawyers. He then asked me about my father and the nature of his work.

 

The interrogator then asked me whether I throw stones on the bypass road and I told him I didn’t. I told him I was in the area herding goats. He then questioned me about the sling shot but I denied all the accusations and told him one of the soldiers tried to put the sling shot in my pocket. I insisted that I didn’t throw any stones at soldiers. I told him I ran away because I was scared of the masked soldiers who were laying an ambush.

 

The interrogation lasted for about 30 minutes. The interrogator printed my statement but he did not ask me to sign it. I was then taken in a jeep to Ofer prison, near Jerusalem. It was around 5:30 p.m. When we arrived the soldiers kept me inside the jeep and then handed me over to the Palestinian police who took a statement from me. My father then picked me up and took me home. I arrived home at around 6:30 p.m.