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Photo: AFP
Azaria
Photo: AFP

Officials pressure Azaria to abandon further appeal

Defense Minister Lieberman and sources within the IDF Military Advocate General advise Azaria and his family to accept the sentence and request a reduced sentence from Chief of Staff Eisenkot.

Various officials are trying their best to convince the Azaria family to give up their legal battle against Elor's prison sentence for shooting a neutralized Palestinian terrorist in Hebron, and appeal to Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot for a pardon.

 

 

Earlier Monday, Charlie Azaria said, "We have not yet received a request from the prime minister or defense minster, but if we get an official request, we will consider it."

 

An IDF legal official told Ynet Monday, "The Supreme Court is not inclined to discuss the issue at all—let alone intervene—in the military appeals court. The moment his family accepts this, they will understand it is better not to further delay his release from prison."

 

Elor Azaria with his parents in court Sunday (Photo: Reuters) (Photo: Reuters)
Elor Azaria with his parents in court Sunday (Photo: Reuters)
 

  

Minister of Defense Avigdor Lieberman took to Twitter Sunday, appealing to the Azaria family not to file an additional appeal. "I ask the Azaria family not to file an additional appeal, but rather to appeal to the Chief of Staff for a pardon. I have no doubt that the chief of staff will take into account all the difficult circumstances and that he (Elor) was an outstanding soldier," Lieberman wrote.

 

In addition to Lieberman, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also touched on the subject, saying, "My opinion has not changed on the granting of a pardon to Elor Azaria, as I expressed following the verdict. When the subject is brought up for practical discussion, I will forward my recommendation for amnesty to the relevant parties."

 

Despite calls for a pardon, sources at the President's Office said that thus far, no such request has been submitted to President Reuven Rivlin. The same sources also added that Rivlin will most likely allow Lt. Gen. Eisenkot to handle the request.

 

Photo: Motti Kimchi
Photo: Motti Kimchi

 

Should Azaria request a pardon from Rivlin exclusively, he will have to take into account that such a request entails an extended process of deliberation involving the IDF Military Advocate General, the head of the IDF's Manpower Directorate, the chief of staff and the minister of defense.

 

On Sunday, the Military Court of Appeals rejected both appeals in the case—both Azaria's appeal of his manslaughter conviction and that of the military prosecution, which demanded a longer prison sentence. Sources in the IDF emphasized the rejection of the prosecution's appeal for a longer sentence was not unanimous. Two of the presiding judges advocated a sentence of two and a half years in prison.

 

Azaria is expected to begin his sentence at Prison Four, located at the military police compound in Camp Yadin.

 

Even if Azaria waives his appeal to the Supreme Court, in order to be eligible for amnesty from the IDF chief, he would likely have to admit culpability, remorse and responsibility for his actions—which he has not yet done.

 

As part of the deliberations into Azaria's request for pardon, Chief of Staff Eisenkot will receive an opinion from Chief Military Advocate General Brig. Gen. Sharon Afek that is expected to highlight Azaria's stubbornness in accepting responsibility for his actions as well as undermining the credibility of soldiers and officers he served with.

 

Brig. Gen. Sharon Afek (Photo: Tzvika Tischler) (Photo: Zvika Tishler)
Brig. Gen. Sharon Afek (Photo: Tzvika Tischler)

 

Sources close to the Military Court of Appeals estimate that in any case, Eisenkot is not expected to significantly shorten Azaria's sentence. If anything, Azaria may only receive a shortened sentence of several months.

 

 


פרסום ראשון: 07.31.17, 20:04
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