Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has requested that President Isaac Herzog pardon Elor Azaria, a former Israeli soldier convicted of killing a wounded Palestinian man in Hebron, according to Israeli media. The killing occurred on 24 March 2016, when Azaria shot Abdel Fattah al-Sharif, who was lying wounded and motionless on the ground about 11 minutes after al-Sharif was shot by other Israeli troops following an alleged stabbing attempt.
About a year later, Azaria was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 18 months in prison. He was released after serving 14 months, following a decision by then-chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot. Katz’s request to Herzog also seeks expungement, meaning the official erasure of Azaria’s criminal records. An earlier attempt to reduce the sentence had been rejected by former president Reuven Rivlin.
Herzog’s office says it has received Katz’s request and is waiting for remaining opinions before proceeding. The Israeli army chief of staff and the army’s personnel directorate chief have advised that the pardon request should not be granted.
