Beatings and imprisonment of minors

On June 4th we visited the Zou'l family in Husan village. The following is testimony from Mahmound and Omar about their recent experiences of beatings and imprisonment by the IDF.

Mahmoud:

I was in jail from the 29th of December 2008 until the 13th of May 2009. I was also given a 500 NIS fine. I was 17 when I was put in prison. They took me from the house. They said I was arrested because I was standing at the entrance of the house and that I warned a boy that was throwing stones. They followed me into the house and started beating me in front of my mother, brothers and sisters. They broke my leg in three places.

They beat me in this room and then they took me to another room, closed the door and started beating me again. There were four or five soldiers beating me. They also beat my younger brothers who were 12 and 14 at the time.

After that they took me from the house by Israeli ambulance. I was covered in blood as I had a broken nose too. They did not take me to hospital though; they took me to a jail in Etzion. There they interrogated me and beat me more.

In interrogation they asked me if I know anyone who throws stones and why I was standing outside the house. After interrogation they put me outside in the cold and then they took me to a cell. After four days they finally took me to Hadassah hospital.

In prison there were ten prisoners in a room, bad blankets and only metal bunk beds that were fixed to the floor, there was no fresh air or sunlight. For only 15 minutes a day we were let outside.

There were older and younger men in jail too. Some men over 50 and some 16 year olds. After six days they took me to court and renewed my detention. In the court some of the soldiers said they threw stones and that I was actually controlling the area for the stone throwers. I have bad dreams about what happened. Daily the soldiers came and counted the prisoners. I wake up sometimes thinking that I hear the soldiers coming to do this.

Omar:

I was also arrested and put in prison, I was 14 at the time. I was arrested on December 30th and jailed for a week. I was very afraid in jail, in Ofra. It was the day after Mahmoud was arrested. They came for me at 2.30 am in my home. They made me stand for two hours in the rain. There was a big investigator who started to beat me and ask questions. Everytime I denied throwing a rock and every time I denied knowing anyone who threw a rock he hit me. He hit me in the head, stomach and back and blood was coming from my mouth.

They told me that my friend had told them that I was throwing stones. I did not believe them and asked them to show me this person.

Rehab:

Last week someone knocked at the door at 3am. Mahmoud became very scared and my legs were shaking. But it was taxi driver who had come to the wrong house, to take someone to visit a relative in jail.