10 year old Muslim Aoudeh from the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan, was summoned to the Jerusalem police station for investigation on Sunday. Aoudeh was abducted, along with four other Palestinian children, on 28 February this year near his home in Al-Bustan district of Silwan.
Out of the other five boys who were taken, Muslim suffered the most and was subjected to severe beatings by Israeli officers before he even arrived at the police station. The beatings left prominent marks on his face and hands.
Upon arrival at the station, Muslim was so physically unwell that he could not stop himself from throwing up several times, causing him to be transferred to Hadassah Ein Karem hospital in West Jerusalem. Doctors found that the child was suffering from a fractured skull and severe bruising throughout his body.
Since the police were unable to proceed with Muslim’s interrogation as a result of his fragile health, they have summoned him once again for investigation. He is being accused of stone-throwing and this is the seventh time that Muslim has been arrested on this charge.
Muslim’s two older brothers remain in custody on the pretext of involvement in recent clashes in Silwan. Muslim’s father Sheikh Musa Aoudeh, member of the Al-Bustan Popular Committee, is currently serving a house arrest sentence outside the village.
Muslim and his family live in Al-Bustan, which has been earmarked for demolition by the Israeli Municipality. The municipality works in collusion with settlement organizations which seek to eliminate Palestinians from the area. Their ultimate plan is to create a biblical garden as a massive extension of the settler-sponsored City of David archaeological site in Wadi Hilweh.
