Testimony: M.W.B.
Name: | M.W.B. |
Age: | 16 |
Date of incident: | 7 April 2015 |
Location: | Al 'Arrub, West Bank |
Accusation: | Throwing stones/Molotovs |
On 7 April 2015, a 16-year-old minor from Al 'Arrub refugee camp was arrested by Israeli soldiers from home at 2.00 a.m. and accused of throwing stones and Molotovs. He reports being denied his basic legal rights under Israeli military law. He reports being released on NIS 1,000 bail 7 days after his arrest.
I was asleep when my father woke me up and told me Israeli soldiers were in our house to arrest me. It was 2.00 a.m. I got up and went to where the soldiers were. The soldiers gave my father a document. They told my father I was accused of throwing stones and that they were going to take me to the settlement of Etzion for interrogation. The soldiers told me to get dressed and I was then taken outside where they made me stand for about 15 minutes. They tied my hands to the back with one plastic tie. The tie was not painful.
The soldiers walked me towards the military watchtower at the entrance to the camp. As soon as we got there I was blindfolded and put on the floor of a troop carrier. The vehicle drove for about 15 minutes before arriving at the police station inside the settlement of Etzion. I was taken to see a doctor who examined me and gave me a form to fill out. I was then taken into a room where I waited for about four hours. At around 7.00 a.m. an interrogator came and took me to another room.
The interrogator wore civilian clothes. He immediately started to interrogate me without telling me about my rights. He accused me of throwing stones and Molotov cocktails at soldiers. I denied the accusations. The interrogator then told me there were confessions against me from other boys but he did not name the boys. Half way through the interrogation the interrogator called my father and told him to appoint a lawyer for me. He told him I was being held at Etzion. The first interrogation lasted for about 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes I was then taken outside to a courtyard where I sat on the ground for about 15 minutes. I was then taken for a second interrogation with another interrogator. The second interrogator also wore civilian clothes. He also did not inform me of my rights. He immediately accused me of the same accusations which I denied. The second interrogation lasted for about 15 minutes. The interrogator printed out a document in Hebrew and asked me to sign it. I signed it without knowing what it said. I was then photographed and fingerprinted and taken to a prison cell inside Etzion where I remained until around 4.00 p.m.
At around 4:00 p.m. I was transferred to Ofer prison, near Jerusalem. On arrival at Ofer I was strip searched and taken to Section 13.
The following day I was taken to Ofer military court. My parents did not attend because they were not informed. A lawyer was in court and the hearing was adjourned until Tuesday, 14 April 2015. On Monday, 13 April 2015, at around 10.00 p.m., some soldiers came to the prison cell and told me I was going to be released. I got out of prison at around 11.00 p.m. and my parents were waiting for me outside. I found out from my parents that the lawyer was able to get me released on bail pending the next hearing in December 2015. My parents had to pay NIS 1,000 in bail. I arrived home with my parents at around midnight.