“My hands were fastened to the chair's back from behind and my legs were tied together and fastened tightly to the chair's legs. I felt severe pain in my back, legs and hands.”
Abdel Kareem Al-Atal, 28, from Jabalia refugee camp, north Gaza
“Two years ago I started to get pain in my left eye and my sight became much weaker. I underwent treatment in Gaza but as time passed my condition became worse and the doctors decided that I need surgery to transplant a cornea. This operation cannot be carried-out in Gaza. On 3 August 2009, I obtained a referral from Palestinian doctors in Gaza to Saint John Eye Hospital in Jerusalem. After that, I applied for permission from the Israeli authorities to go to Jerusalem. The Israeli intelligence summoned me for an interview at Erez Crossing on 6 September 2009 after which they were supposed to decide whether or not I would be allowed to exit Gaza. On that day, I entered Erez Crossing. Two people in civilian clothes searched me, handcuffed and blindfolded me and led me to a nearby room where they undid the handcuffs and the blindfold.
After nearly an hour, two people came into the room, one of whom blindfolded and handcuffed me. They led me to a nearby place where they took off the blindfold and the handcuffs. I found myself in a room where there was a desk and a computer. Behind the desk sat a tall, slim man wearing eyeglasses. He asked me why I wanted to go to Israel. Then, he asked me about my relationship with a relative who had been a member of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the armed wing of Fatah. He accused me of helping move weapons. I denied these allegations categorically and told him that I was very sick, and could not do such things.
Then he accused me of forging all my medical papers. I told him that he could get a doctor to check me and see if I was ill or not. But he repeated the allegation that I was a forger. Then he said that he wanted to help me and let me go home, but on the condition that I watch my relatives and collect information about them for the Israeli intelligence. I said that I couldn't. He said that if I refused they would arrest me. I said I refused to do these things.” Shortly after, Oday was arrested and taken to a prison inside Israel.
“[In prison] they gave me an orange uniform to wear, blindfolded me and led me to another place and took off the blindfold. I saw two people in civilian clothes sitting behind a desk. One of them asked me what my name was and then said to me, ‘You're rubbish; a dog; a mean and ugly person.’ Then, he ordered me to move to an iron chair which was fixed firmly to the ground and he bound my hands and legs and fastened them tightly to the chair. My hands were fastened to the chair's back from behind and my legs were tied together and fastened tightly to the chair's legs. I felt severe pain in my back, legs and hands. He said, ‘You must speak,’ and he brought his face close to mine and said, ‘You are wanted for killing Israeli soldiers and shooting at us. You kill us and yet you want us to offer you medical treatment.’ I denied all these allegations. The interrogation continued for about another hour, after which he [the interrogator] picked up a remote control and raised the air-conditioning cooling degree to the highest and left me alone in the room. I began to shiver from cold.” Oday was then interrogated a further two times before being taken to court.
“In court I was told that my detention had been extended for another ten days. They took me back to the same prison. After ten minutes, they led me to the interrogation room where one of them interrogated me while I was sitting on the chair in a hanging position like the first time. The interrogation went on for two hours. They left me alone in the room for about five hours while I was fastened to the small chair with the air conditioning set to very cold. For five days, I was taken to the interrogation room for two interrogation sessions each day. The first interrogation session started at about 7am and finished at about 7pm and the second session was from 7:15 pm to 3:00 am. All the time I spent in the interrogation room, I was tied to the chair. I couldn’t sleep in that position and also because it was so cold. On the last day of the ten days that my detention had been extended for, they brought me before Bir Sheva (Bir As-Sabea) court again and informed me that I was banned from receiving lawyer visits. I was brought before the judge without a lawyer and my legs were shackled. The police officer told me in Arabic that my detention had been extended for another eight days.”
Oday was released without being charged with an offense and sent back to Gaza on 23 September 2009. He was subsequently allowed to enter Israel for medical treatment.
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