Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked the president to pardon him in a corruption case that has been going on for years.
According to a report by foreign news agency Reuters, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has requested a pardon from the president in the corruption case, arguing that his administrative capacity is being affected by the criminal trial of the case and that a pardon in this case will prove to be good for Israel.
In a letter written to the president from Netanyahu’s lawyer, it has been said that the prime minister believes that he will be acquitted after the trial of the case is completed.
The lawyers said that the criminal trial against the prime minister has divided the country and that the end of the case is necessary for national consensus, and due to this, the prime minister is facing difficulties in fulfilling his administrative responsibility.
According to a statement issued by the ruling party, Netanyahu said that his lawyers sent the president a request for clemency in the case today and I expect that everyone who wants the best for the country will support this move.
He said that I have to appear three times a week, which is an impossible demand and this is not for any other citizen, while I have also won the trust of the people through repeated victories in elections.
On the other hand, opposition leader Yair Lapid said that Netanyahu should not be pardoned unless he admits to the crime, expresses remorse and immediately retires from politics.
Meanwhile, the Israeli president’s office said in a statement that Netanyahu’s request is unusual and has serious consequences, but the president will consider the request responsibly and honestly after consulting with relevant authorities.
It should be noted that Netanyahu, who has ruled Israel for the longest time, is facing other charges of bribery, fraud and embezzlement, which he denies.
Netanyahu and his lawyers have not pleaded guilty to the corruption trial that has been going on for the past five years.
According to the report, pardons in Israel are granted only when the legal process is completed and the accused is convicted, but Netanyahu’s lawyers argue that the president can intervene in matters of public interest and that this matter is necessary to strengthen national unity and avoid chaos.