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Home » Children »

Testimony: N.M.M.R.

 

Name:  N.M.M.R.
Age:  14
Date:  9 June 2019
Location:  Tuqu', West Bank
Accusation:  Throwing stones

On 9 June 2019, a 14-year-old minor from Tuqu’ was arrested by Israeli soldiers outside his uncle’s house at 7:30 p.m. during clashes and accused of throwing stones. He reports ill treatment and being denied his basic legal rights under Israeli military law. He reports being released without charge 9 days after he was arrested. 

I was outside my uncle’s house at around 7:30 p.m. At the time there were clashes between Israeli soldiers and boys from the village. One of the boys was wearing a red T-shirt like the one I was wearing. I estimate that there were around 50 soldiers were in the area. 
 
One of the soldiers called out to me and told me to stand aside. He left me there for about 10 minutes. During this time he was sending photographs back and forth on his phone. Then he painfully handcuffed my hands behind my back with metal handcuffs and blindfolded me.
 
Once tied and blindfolded I was led to the back of a troop carrier and made me sit on the metal floor. Boys and young men started to throw stones at the troop carrier and the soldiers took it out on me. They struck me with the back of their guns on my stomach and back and caused me a lot of pain. One of the soldiers poured water on me and swore at me calling  me “a son of a whore”.  
 
Then they took me to a nearby military base where I was examined by a doctor. The doctor removed the handcuffs and the blindfold and then put them back on afterwards. Then I was taken to a police station somewhere I did not recognise. 
 
At the station a policeman approached and wanted to know where I was picked up from. Then he asked me whether I was throwing stones and I told him I was not. He asked me the questions without informing me of my rights. Then he told me if I did not confess to throwing stones he was going to bring my father to the police station. 
 
After these questions the policeman showed me a document in Hebrew and asked me to sign it and I did. He then took my photograph and then I was taken to a military jeep where I sat on the metal floor. The jeep then drove me to the police station in Etzion settlement.
 
At Etzion I was searched in my boxer shorts and then taken to a cell where they removed the handcuffs and blindfold. I could not sleep because there was a flickering light in the cell and I was not given any food. 
 
The next morning I was taken to the military court at Ofer, near Jerusalem. My parents did not attend the hearing because they were not told about it. My case was adjourned for a week. After court I was taken to Ofer prison where I was strip searched.
 
A week later I had another military court hearing which my father attended. The hearing was adjourned for another three days and I was taken back to prison. Three days later I was taken back to the military court but I did not enter a court room. While waiting the guard told me I was going to be released.
 
I waited until around 5:00 p.m. and then I was taken to Al-Jib checkpoint where I was released. My parents were not there because they were not informed about my release. Another person form a nearby village that was released on the same day gave me a lift to his village. I then took a taxi to my village and my father paid the driver when I arrived home. 
 
I was released on 17 June 2019, without charge and my parents did not have to pay any fines.