I am a citizen of Eritrea. I defected from the army and planned on getting to Sudan. The Bedouin smugglers kidnapped me in the desert, on the border between Eritrea and Sudan, after I had crossed to Sudan. After that they took me to their place in Sudan, where I stayed for a week, and then they transferred me to Sinai by car. In Sinai, I stayed with a smuggler named Abdullah for six months. I had to pay a very high sum of money for my release. I underwent severe physical abuse. Also, they tried to rape me but I screamed, so they let go of me, and I did not undergo sexual abuse.
The smugglers also chained both of my legs with a metal chain. They also blindfolded me with a piece of cloth, so that I didn’t see any light for six months. Also, during the entire time I received beatings with a stick and shoes. I received beatings all over my body, especially my back, head and ears. They also dripped melted plastic on my skin and I have burns now [the detainee shows severe burns on her body – Tribunal note]. One of my fingers was broken as a result of these beatings. I would like to see a doctor. I also suffered from hunger and thirst, they gave us food only once a day. Sometimes, they wouldn’t give us water for even three days in a row.
Eventually, I paid them $35,000 to release me and smuggle me to Israel. My parents in Eritrea collected the money and transferred it to me for the smugglers. I did not plan on coming to Israel. I know that my stay in Israel is illegal and that I entered it illegally.
*name given
Narrative as featured in the report ‘Tortured in Sinai, Jailed in Israel: Detention of Slavery and Torture Survivors under the Anti-Infiltration Law’ made possible by The PME Foundation
