Terrorist family satisfied with Azaria conviction, fears light sentence
The family of Abed al Fatah al-Sharif, the seriously wounded terrorist who was shot and killed by Sgt. Elor Azaria, expresses partial satisfaction with Azaria's conviction; 'I feel good. It is fair,' says al-Sharif's father; nonetheless, the family fears public pressure will cause the court to deliver a less severe sentence, demanding equality between the punishment of a soldier and others convicted of manslaughter.
Yousri al-Sharif, the father of Abed al Fatah al-Sharif, the terrorist who had been seriously injured when he was shot to death last March by Sgt. Elor Azaria, watched Azaria's verdict being read live with his family on Wednesday. Azaria was unanimously found guilty of manslaughter by the three judges presiding over the case.
It took presiding Central Command Chief Justice Col. Maya Heller nearly three hours to deliver the verdict. "I was exhausted and tense," he said. "I smoked two packs of cigarettes while watching the verdict."
"I feel good. It is fair," responded Yousri after Azaria was found guilty. "It is an achievement for the court that it condemned the soldier."
That said, al-Sharif's family expressed concern and some criticism over receiving justice during Azaria's impending sentencing. "The Israeli public should also demand justice," said al-Sharif's family, who also worried that the public outcry against the conviction might cause the court to deliver a lighter sentence.
"The court should have handed in its final sentencing today instead of (merely) convicting him, as his conviction has been clear for nine months, since the beginning of the case," said the family. "We understand there is a conviction, but where is the sentence? When will they hand it in?" his uncle asked.
"All the demonstrations that were held outside the courtroom create a very heavy pressure on the court regarding the sentencing. We, as his family, shouldn't be the only ones to demand justice; the Israeli public should also demand justice," the uncle added.
"If Israel is indeed a emocratic state that champions justice and equality, then we demand that there be equality between the punishment of a soldier and the punishment of others convicted of manslaughter," interjected a member of al-Sharif's family.
The military court at the IDF Headquarters in the Kirya is due to hand in Azaria's sentencing in about a month. Azaria's attorneys have already announced that they plan on appealing the decision.
During the trial, the prosecution repeatedly rejected Azaria's attempted lines of defense. As Chief Justice Heller read out the verdict on Wednesday, Azaria's testimony was found to be "unreliable" and his shooting of al-Sharif to be without justification.
