Testimony: D.A.M.H.
Name: | D.A.M.H. |
Age: | 16 |
Date: | 10 August 2023 |
Location: | Biddo, West Bank |
Accusation: | Throwing stones |
On 10 August 2023, a 16-year-old minor from Biddo was arrested from his grandmother's home by Israeli soldiers at 3:30 a.m. He reports physical violence. He was informed of his legal rights under Israeli military law. After being interrogated twice he was released without charge on 14 August 2023.
Israeli soldiers raided our building at around 3:30 a.m. They first came to our house, then to my uncle’s house. One of the soldiers grabbed my father by the neck and pushed him to the ground because they wanted him to say where I was. When he told them I was staying at my grandmother’s house they immediately went there and banged at the door.
My grandmother answered the door and about 15 soldiers entered her house. They rushed in and immediately asked me for my mobile phone. They told me to turn it on and then three soldiers took me to another room and searched me.
After searching me the soldiers took me outside where a soldier beat me on my head and caused me a lot of pain. Then he blindfolded me and tied my hands behind my back with two painful plastic ties on top of each other. I still have marks on my wrists until this day. Then they took me on foot towards the mosque and on the way the beat me all over my body.
When we got to the mosque I was put in the back of a military jeep. The soldiers pushed me on the metal floor and made me sit between the soldiers’ boots. The soldiers inside the jeep swore at me calling me "a son of a whore". I was taken to Atarot police station, in occupied East Jerusalem, where I was left in an outdoor cage until around noon.
While in the cage a soldier gave me a choice; he asked me whether I wanted him to remove the blindfold or the ties. I asked him to remove the ties because they were very painful and my hands had swelled and doubled in size. I was in the cage with two other boys my age.
At around noon a soldier removed the blindfold and shackled me and hand cuffed me with metal handcuffs before taking me for interrogation.
The interrogator was wearing a blue shirt and jeans. He spoke to me through a translator.. The interrogator called a lawyer for me before he started to question me. The lawyer told me I was going to be interrogated about stone throwing. Then the interrogator took over and started to talk to the lawyer in Hebrew. I did not understand what they were talking about.
The translator then told me I had the right to remain silent. Then I was accused of throwing stones near the settlement of Har Hadar. I denied the accusation. Then the interrogator showed me some photographs and accused me of being the boy in the picture shown throwing stones but it was not me. I told the interrogator that boy was not me and I continued to deny the accusation.
At one point the interrogator threatened to keep me in prison for two years if I did not confess. I told him I was not going to confess to something I did not do. He thumped the table aggressively and continued to ask me to confess. I did not confess. He questioned me for about an hour and then he asked me to sign some documents written in Hebrew. I signed the documents without understanding what they said because I thought I had no choice but to sign them.
After the interrogation I was taken back into the cage where I was left until the evening hours. Then I was taken to Al Mascobiyeh interrogation station in West Jerusalem. At Al Mascobiyeh I was strip searched before being taken to a cell together with another boy.
The following day I was taken to scourt. My mother attended and my detention was extended. I was not allowed to speak to my mother in court. I did not have a second hearing which was scheduled for 15 August 2023, because I was released on the 14th.
I was released on 14 August 2023, without charge. I was released at a checkpoint far away from home. I did not have a mobile phone and I could not talk to my parents to let them know I had been released. I took a taxi home. I arrived home at around 9:00 p.m. My parents were surprised to see me but they were happy. I don’t go to school anymore.