Paul Calvert spoke with Filmon, an Eritrean refugee in Israel

Filmon: Yes, even in the Sinai when I was tortured and even while I was tortured I really felt sorry for my family and friends, because, imagine someone that you love and care about calling on the phone screaming for help and the one thing you can help him with is money and yet there is none of it. In fact they too were being tortured.

Paul: In more of a psychological way?

Filmon: Yes. This Sinai incident has affected Eritreans on so many levels.

Paul: In what way do they torture people they have kidnapped?

Filmon: Their imagination has no limit. They would come and just beat you up with a stick and this is the norm there. Sometimes they would take off your shirt and make you lie down and then whip you until one of the torturers got tired and then he would be replaced by another. This keeps going on and of course they would pour molten plastic on your hand, on your back, on your thighs and whatever parts of your body they would think would be more painful to you. They also tie you up; both your feet are shackled. What they would do is hang you up upside down dangling from the ceiling and sometimes upright. In my case they left me hanging for three days, which is what finally damaged my hands.

Paul: You have lost parts of both of your hands because of that haven't you?

Filmon: Yes, because of the hanging. Considering the extent of torture that I took there, I shouldn't have lived. I was unable to walk; let alone walk, I was unable to stand. The chain that was shackled to my right foot was so tight and even when I screamed to let them release it a little, they refused and the chain had started to dig into my flesh. I had some sort of blood poisoning; in fact I cannot describe it. I kept shaking. I couldn't stand and my vision was poor. At one point it went to the extent of not being able to differentiate between light and dark.

Paul: How did you manage to get away from all of this?

Filmon: Family, friends and strangers helped. People who just wanted to help, even Sudanese neighbours that we used to live with, they all pitched in and came up with the ransom money.

Paul: This must have been a huge amount of money for everyone to pay.

Filmon: Of course a huge amount. If it hadn't been for those who lived abroad in the States, Canada and Europe, it would have been impossible to come up with the money.

Paul: And you ended up in Israel. How did that happen?

Filmon: After I paid the ransom they took me and dumped me with another smuggler who was responsible for taking people and getting them into Israel. This guy, unlike the other kidnappers, was kind. He actually advised me to stay with him for two weeks, to eat and get stronger because he saw my situation and said you can never go to Israel, you will never make it. He was sure I would die. I already had a deep infection. I know my situation was really horrible. I wouldn't have cared much if the ransom hadn't been paid, but that my family and friends have done the impossible to get the money, so just not for my sake, for their sake I had to make it. I told him that I had to go that very same night. If not it was simple, I wasn't going to make it. I already had a deep infection. That guy was kind, actually, really kind; he didn't want to let me go as he thought just me going that way would be my end. He even got me a doctor or nurse, some guy who came, but he concurred on my opinion and he said the same thing, that unless I get to a hospital I won't make it. So against his desire he had to let me go. What he did was group other refugees who were coming into Israel into different groups with five in each group and they carried me over Israel. I don't remember much of the journey as I was delirious and hallucinating. I kept passing out, so I was more unconscious than conscious.

As soon as we came in contact with the Israeli soldiers, they saw my situation and sent me to the Soroka hospital in Beersheba. The rest of my group went directly to the Saharonim prison.