Azaria asks to delay prison sentence until IDF chief decision
The former soldier, who is scheduled to begin serving his 18-month sentence on Wednesday, files request to postpone prison until IDF Chief Eisenkot decides whether or not to commute his sentence.
Elor Azaria filed a request to the Military Court of Appeals on Sunday to postpone the beginning of his prison sentence until IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot decides whether or not to commute his sentence.
Azaria was convicted of manslaughter after shooting dead a neutralized terrorist during his IDF service in Hebron in March 2016 and was sentenced to 18 months in prison. Last week, the Military Court of Appeals decided to uphold his manslaughter conviction.
He is scheduled to arrive at Prison 4 in Tzrifin to begin serving his sentence on Wednesday.
In the request, Azaria's lawyer Yoram Sheftel asked to hold a hearing on the matter before Wednesday, unless the military prosecution agrees to postpone the beginning of his sentence.
Sheftel stressed his client will not seek permission to appeal his conviction to the Supreme Court.
The military prosecution is expected to discuss Azaria's request on Sunday, but it is expected to reject the request.
On Thursday, Azaria asked IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot to substitute his sentence for community service, noting, "if I had known in advance what became apparent in hindsight—that there was no explosive device on the body of the terrorist—I would not have shot."
Eisenkot will only be able to discuss Azaria's request after September 7, when the verdict becomes peremptory.
For this request to be taken into serious consideration, Azaria would need to both express remorse for his actions and take responsibility for them, neither of which he has done thus far, not even in his request to the IDF chief.
Regardless, if such a request is submitted, Eisenkot is obliged to consult with the Chief Military Advocate General, Brig. Gen. Sharon Afek, for a legal opinion first and only then may he respond.
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