The story of Abed Al Rahman

from International Solidarity Movement

13 years old Abed Al Rahman is a resident of the village of Ni’lin

In late September 2008 13 year old Abed Al Rahman was kidnapped by the Israeli army.

At around 3am the army came to take 13 year old Abed from his family when he was asleep. The army fired several teargas canisters outside his home before they hammered on the door, which Abed’s father answered and was demanded to identify himself. The army then demanded he tell them the names of his family who were inside the house and when Abed’s name was mentioned the army went in and took him. There were 30 soldiers inside and around Abed’s house. Abed was taken to the jeep outside where he was searched and shown a photo of his face. After showing him his picture they got him to fetch some clothes but they did not allow him to put on warmer clothes even though he was just wearing a t-shirt. Abed’s hands were tied and then he was marched to the town centre where jeeps and soldiers were occupying many different streets.

Close to the petrol station in the town centre the soldiers started beating him and shouting at him to shut up. Abed saw that the two other youths who had been arrested had been beaten and were bleeding. ‘The commanders’ eyes contained a lot of violence,’ Abed recalls when he was on the ground, still handcuffed, his neck being crushed under the weight of a boot to the point where he was suffocating as the verbal abuse continued unabated.

Abed had been blind folded before he arrived at the checkpoint. The three captured were put inside separate prisoner transport vehicles and once Abed was taken inside, he was taken outside again and pushed until he fell to the ground. They were taken to the police station in a military base called ‘Ben Yamin.’ Abed was interrogated the whole day without being able to have food or water or go to the toilet until it became dark. During the interrogation they beat him with a stick in the face, arms, legs and his body. When the interrogation was over, Abed was taken to ‘Ofer’ prison near ‘Betyunia.’

In Ofer, Abed was denied being able to live in the jail with the other prisoners, the reason for which he was told was that it was ‘punishment for throwing stones.’ For this reason, Abed was kept captive in the track for the first two days where he was refused food, water and was unable to use a bathroom. Abed slept in the ‘prisoner transport’ and was blindfolded and was alone unless the soldiers were there ‘humiliating’ him by eating in front of him. During the second day they took him to a military base, Abed only realized where he was in the evening when they removed his blindfold, hand and foot cuffs. The next day they took him back to Ofer and inside the jail where he was asked if he wanted to be put in the Fatah or Hamas section. In every section there are 4 tents that each contain 23 prisoners who are counted 3 times a day. Abed chose to be put in the Fatah section so he could join the other two youths from Ni’lin who were arrested the same night as him. Abed was the only youth under 16 in his section.

The prisoners were treated violently by the guards. Abed was taken to small cell as punishment for not waking up in the night to be counted, where he spent two nights completely alone with out light aside from a tiny hole which they used to give food. Food was always brought late, so Abed would feel very hungry during the day. Abed was punished twice in this way. In the section after 12 midnight you had to ask permission to use the bathroom and after 1am people were forbidden from leaving their bed.

Abed spent 45 days in Ofer prison in which he went ten times to court. Each time he was handcuffed and chained by feet as he waited in a small room with other prisoners from 9am to 4 in the afternoon. Abed was not allowed a phone call and was being tried by a military court. In the court there was a judge, lawyer, a representative of the army and a translator as the proceedings were in Hebrew. After this time Abed’s family was told to pay 6000NIS or he would spend 8 months in jail, so they paid.

Abed feels that the prison experience will not stop the resistance. He wants freedom for prisoners now and wants to live in Freedom. Abed never felt any guilt or shame for being in jail and has pride. Israel does not treat children differently from other prisoners and children also loose a period of time in their education at this important time in their lives. Abed lost one and a half months of education.

There are currently 11000 Palestinians held in prison by the Israeli occupation. 400 are children.