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Home » Children »

Testimony: J.I.A.R.

 

Name: J.I.A.R.
Age: 14
Date of incident: 26 December 2016
Location: Beituniya, West Bank
Accusation: Throwing stones

On 26 December 2016, a 14-year-old minor from Beituniya was arrested by Israeli soldiers during clashes near the Wall at 9:30 a.m. and accused of throwing stones. He reports ill treatment. He reports not being informed of his right to silence prior to interrogation. He reports being released on NIS 2,000 bail, 1 week after his arrest. 

At around 9:30 a.m. I went with some friends after our school exams to an area near the Wall to see the clashes with Israeli soldiers. We were watching from quite far away. All of a sudden a military jeep pulled over and three soldiers stepped out and started to chase us. I tried to run in the direction of a nearby farm where the farmer told me to hide next to him but it was too late. The soldiers were very close and they threatened to shoot if I didn’t stop. I stopped and the soldiers immediately arrested me together with some other boys.
 
The soldiers shackled and handcuffed me to the front and pushed me into the back of a jeep together with the other boys. We were on top of each other on the metal floor. Once inside the jeep the soldiers started to beat us each time we tried to lift our heads up.
 
The jeep drove to Ofer prison, near Jerusalem, where they made us sit outside in the cold for about two hours until our parents arrived. The soldiers earlier had asked us for our parents’ telephone numbers. Then they took us to Atarot police station, in East Jerusalem. They made us wait in a hall where we sat on chairs and we each waited for our turn to be interrogated. I was interrogated at around 4:30 p.m.
 
My father accompanied me into the interrogation room. The interrogator told my father not to say a word and that any interference would negatively affect me. The interrogator had a tape recorder in front of him and he asked a soldier to remove the handcuffs. Then he asked me if I wanted to consult with a lawyer. My father told him there was no need for a lawyer because I hadn’t done anything wrong.  The interrogator did not inform me of any other rights. Then he asked me why I was throwing stones at soldiers near the Wall. I told him I didn’t know what he was talking about and that I didn’t throw stones at anyone.
 
The interrogation lasted for about 90 minutes. The interrogator repeated the question again and again and I continued to deny the accusation. In the end the interrogator printed out my statement in Hebrew and asked me to sign it but I refused. Then he took my picture and fingerprints and then took me back to the hall and my father stayed with me for some time before he was told to leave at around 10:00 p.m.
 
At around midnight I was taken to Ofer prison where I was left in a room with the other boys for about an hour. Then I was strip searched and taken into Section 13. The following day I was taken to Ofer military court and my parents and my lawyer were there and I was allowed to speak to them. The hearing was adjourned.
 
I had two more military court hearings and on 1 January 2017, the military judge agreed to release me on bail of NIS 2,000 pending my next hearing. The judge told me my next hearing was going to be on 15 February 2017. I was released on 1 January 2017 at around 3:00 p.m. and I went home with my parents.