“They were hitting me with their hands and legs and with sharp objects all over my body; my head, neck, chest, and legs. The beating continued for a few minutes, after which I lost consciousness.”
Ghazi Abdel-Fattah Al-Ashqar, 38, from Shati refugee camp in Gaza City
“At about 9am on 11 August 2004, I was on my way to Khan Younis town. When I arrived at the Abu Holi checkpoint in Matahin area, Israeli soldiers ordered the driver of the car to stop. A soldier called out, "Ghazi! Get out of the car". I got out. One of the soldiers ordered me to put my arms up, then a soldier ordered me to undress. I took off my jacket. He then ordered me to take off my trousers, but I refused. Immediately after that I heard shooting and felt bullets hitting [the ground] around my legs. Then some soldiers cuffed my hands and legs. One of the soldiers led me into a jeep and blindfolded me. I felt the jeep driving for nearly 30 minutes before it stopped. I was taken out of the jeep and a soldier took off the blindfold. I found that I was in a military site where there were many soldiers and military vehicles. A female soldier asked if I was okay. I said yes. Then she asked, "How can you be a saboteur and be okay?" Then she took the blindfold off and slapped me on my face many times; after that I felt many soldiers hitting me and I fell down. They were hitting me with their hands and legs and with sharp objects all over my body; my head, neck, chest, and legs. The beating continued for a few minutes, after which I lost consciousness. When I woke up, I found myself lying on the ground.”
Ghazi was then taken to Erez detention center and examined by a doctor: “The doctor looked at me and pointed to bruises on my legs and face and asked me what it was. I said it was because of the beating by the soldiers. The doctor then spoke Hebrew and I didn't understand what he was saying. I saw him writing down my name on a form while saying some words in Hebrew. Another detainee said to me that the doctor wrote that my state of health was good.”
Ghazi was held in a cell for a short while and then taken to the interrogation room: “He [the interrogator] tied my hands to the chair's back and my legs to the chair’s legs. The interrogation continued until the early hours of the next day, after which I was led back to the cell. I remained there for 14 days. Every day at sunset I was taken to the interrogation room where I would remain until the morning of the next day. During the interrogations, my hands and legs were kept tied to the chair. This caused me so much pain in my back and my hands and legs, especially on the parts where they tied the cuffs. Throughout, the interrogators were insulting me with rude and humiliating language.”
Ghazi was then taken to Ashkelon Prison for further interrogation: “I was taken to the interrogation room for about twelve hours, and then back to the cell. On the third day, I was taken to the interrogation room and the interrogators wrote on the board ‘36 hours’ and they said to me that I would remain there for 36 hours. I was kept for 36 hours in that room tied in a stress position on the chair. In that room there was a metal appliance blowing out extremely cold air. Every time I tried to sleep on the chair the interrogator would shout in my face and wake me up. When I had been in that room for nearly 36 hours I was taken back to the cell for an hour during which I tried to sleep. Then, I was taken again to the interrogation room. I spent forty-four days in Ashkelon prison in that manner: the interrogation continuing for 36 hours after which I would be taken back to the cell for an hour or two, then I would be taken again to the interrogation room. During the interrogation, I always felt heavy pain all over my body; my body and teeth were shaking from the cold. Once, I lost control of myself so they removed the cuffs and brought a doctor to the room. Then I found myself lying on a bed and being tended to by doctors. I remained at that place for about five hours and then I was taken back to the cell. This happened three times. The interrogators kept offering to turn off the cooler on the condition that I confess what they wanted me to say. While I was in Ashkelon prison I submitted two complaints to the prison administration against the interrogators and the army for beating me and turning on the cool air during the interrogation, but nothing happened.”
Ghazi was subsequently sentenced by an Israeli military court to seven years in prison. He was released in December 2008 in deal between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
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