Testimony: H.S.R.
Name: | H.S.R. |
Age: | 16 |
Date of incident: | 18 May 2015 |
Location: | Al 'Arrub, West Bank |
Accusation: | Throwing stones |
On 18 May 2015, a 16-year-old minor from Al 'Arrub refugee camp was arrested by Israeli soldiers from home at 2.00 a.m. He reports ill treatment. He reports being informed of his right to silence but not consulting with a lawyer prior to interrogation. He reports being released without charge 16 hours after his arrest.
I was arrested from home at around 2.00 a.m. I woke up to the sound of soldiers banging at our front door. I also heard my father open the door. About 10 soldiers entered our house. My four-year-old sister was terrified to see soldiers inside our home and started to cry. The commander told my father they were going to arrest me because I am a trouble maker. They gave my father a document with details about my arrest. The document said they were going to take me for interrogation at Etzion settlement about throwing stones. A soldier told me to get dressed and followed me to my bedroom.
I was then taken outside where I was tied to the back with one plastic tie. The tie was painful. The soldiers led me towards the military watchtower on the main street. When we got there I was taken to the back of a troop carrier and made me sit on a seat. The carrier drove towards the nearby village of Al Khader where they arrested more boys. Around 30 minutes later the troop carrier drove towards the settlement of Etzion. On the way to Etzion I was blindfolded.
At Etzion I was taken to a room where I sat on the floor together with other detainees. I remained there until around 7.00 a.m. Each time I tried to speak to the other detainees I was slapped and kicked. Soldiers also poured water on me and the other boys and laughed while doing so.
I was then taken to see a doctor who removed the blindfold and cut off the tie and tied another one this time with my hands to the front. The tie was very tight. He then examined me. I was then blindfolded again and taken outside where I stood in the sun until around 10.00 a.m. At times they asked me to sit on the ground and at other times they asked me to stand up. I was then taken into the interrogation room.
The interrogator was wearing civilian clothes. He told me he was a policeman and that his name was "Moshe". Before interrogating me he removed the blindfold and told me I had the right to remain silent and the right to see a lawyer. He then called my father and told him I was at Etzion and that I needed a lawyer. He then started to question me before I saw a lawyer.
The interrogator told me I was accused of throwing stones at Route 60. I told him this was not true. The interrogator got angry and slapped me. He slapped me so hard that I fell to the ground. The interrogation lasted for about 90 minutes. During this time the interrogator asked me about other boys in the camp. He wanted me to name the boys who throw stones. I told him I didn’t know anyone who throws stones. He then printed out my statement in Hebrew and asked me to sign it but I refused to sign. I was then photographed and fingerprinted and blindfolded again.
I was taken outside where I stood in the sun while tied and blindfolded for about one-and-a-half hours. A soldier who was guarding me allowed me to use the bathroom and to drink once. The interrogator came back and told me I was going to be transferred to Ofer prison. He kept me waiting until around 6.00 p.m. when the he came back and told me I was going to be released. I started to walk home together with another boy but then the other boy’s father met us on the way and took us home.