I was out late at night and came home at around 3:00 a.m. I took a shower and went to bed. About 10 minutes later my uncle rang the doorbell and told my father that Israeli soldiers were looking for me. They first went to my cousin’s house and then to my uncle’s house and told him to lead them to our house. My uncle left and about 25 soldiers entered our home with more outside. 

 

As soon as they entered our house the commander beat my brother up and asked him for his name. Then he asked him for me and he told them I was asleep in the bedroom upstairs. They came upstairs to my bedroom and I woke up when a soldier slapped me and told me to get up because they wanted to arrest me. I put on some clothes and went downstairs. The soldiers searched my room for weapons but they did not find anything.

 

The soldiers allowed me to say goodbye to my family and then took me outside. They did not give my parents any documents. Outside the house a soldier wanted to hand cuff me so I extended my hands but he punched me in the stomach and forcefully twisted my hands behind my back. He handcuffed me with metal handcuffs behind my back. The handcuffs were very tight and cut into my wrists. He put a mask around my mouth, blindfolded me and walked me towards the settlement of Kochav Yacov.

 

On the way soldiers swore at me. They also slapped and kicked me the whole way. At one point I fell to the ground and injured my face. Young boys were throwing stones at them and with each stone I was kicked and beaten. I was left at the settlement for about 15 minutes and then I was put in the back of a jeep. The soldiers made me lie down on the metal floor with my face down and they were making fun of me. I was taken to Atarot police station where I was left in an outdoor area. At around noon I was taken for interrogation.

 

The interrogator removed the blindfold and he saw I was bleeding. I told him I wanted a tissue to wipe the blood but he told me he would give me a tissue later. Then he removed the handcuffs and hand cuffed me to the front and also shackled my feet to the chair.

 

He asked me for my name and then swore at me. He showed me video footage of clashes with soldiers and accused me of taking part. He told me if I confessed he would send me home immediately. I denied the accusation and I told him I did not take part in the clashes. 

 

He accused me of lying and told me he was going to revoke my family’s work permits if I did not confess. Then he took me outside for about 15 minutes and took another boy in. Then he took me into another room where the area military intelligence officer, "Captain Miro", was sitting. 

 

The intelligence officer told me to introduce myself and then told me I had the right to call my parents to ask them to appoint me a lawyer. I called my brother and told him to appoint me a lawyer. Then I was taken to another room. The interrogator accused me of the same accusations and told me my friends had confessed against me. He told me he was going to send me home but because my friends confessed against me he changed his mind.

 

Then he asked how much I earned a day at work and I told him I am paid 20 shekels a day. He then asked me how I managed with 20 shekels when a pack of cigarettes costs 25 shekels. He asked me for my brothers’ names and then took me outside for about 10 minutes for a break.

 

Then he came back holding a mobile phone and told me to listen and watch and not to speak. He told me it was my military court hearing. I did not understand anything.

 

The interrogators did not inform me of my rights and I did not speak to a lawyer. They questioned me until around midnight and then I was given a document in Arabic, Hebrew and English and the interrogator wanted me to sign it but I refused to sign. 

 

After the interrogation I was transferred to Al Macobiyeh police station, in West Jerusalem. I arrived there at around 1:00 a.m. I was given a quick medical examination and then I was taken to a small cell measuring not more than 1x1 meters. I was left there by myself for 13 days. The cell did not have any windows and I could not tell day from night. It had a sheet and no mattress or pillow and a toilet but no sink. The air conditioner was very cold. I was very distressed and wanted to get out. During this time, I had two more interrogations.

 

The interrogator did not allow me to speak to a lawyer and did not inform me of my right to silence. He questioned me in a dark room and I could not see his face. I was separated from him by a plastic shield because of the Corona Virus regulations. He accused me of the same accusations and I did not confess. He also showed me a document in Hebrew and asked me to sign it and I refused to sign. 

 

Thirteen days later I was taken to a quarantine section for a day. They did a Corona Virus test and then I was transferred to Ofer prison, near Jerusalem. At Ofer I was searched in my boxer shorts and then I was questioned by an intelligence office. He did not allow me to speak to a lawyer and did not inform me of my right to silence. Then I was taken into section 13.

 

I had six military court hearings and at the last one, which was on 28 February 2021, I was sentenced in a plea bargain to six months in prison, and another one year in prion suspended for two years. I did not have to pay any fines. I accepted the plea bargain because the alternative was to spend 20 months in prison.

 

I spent the rest of my prison sentence at Ofer. I did not have any family visits but I was allowed to call home twice a month. In prison I helped in the kitchen. 

 

I was released at Ofer on 21 April 2021 and I went home with my father, my brothers, my cousins and my brother’s brother-in-law. I arrived home at sunset, just in time for the Ramadan meal. I was very happy to be home, I felt as if I could breathe again. I don’t speak to my friends who confessed against me anymore. We used to be very close and would spend a lot of time together, but now we barely say hi to each other.