Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has submitted an official request for a presidential pardon from his corruption charges.
The office of President Isaac Herzog said in a statement on Sunday that the request will be referred to the Justice Ministry’s Pardons Department for opinions, which will be followed by the president’s legal counsel before Herzog issues a final decision.
“The President’s Office recognises that this is an exceptional request with significant implications, and the President will consider it after receiving all opinions,” the statement said.
The request contained a detailed letter signed by Netanyahu’s lawyer and another signed by himself, it added, noting that the letters are allowed to be publicly published due to “the importance of this exceptional request and its repercussions.”
“Despite my personal interest in conducting the trial and proving my innocence until full acquittal, I believe the public interest dictates otherwise,” Netanyahu said in the letter as cited by the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper.
He claimed that “ending the trial will help lower the intensity of the flames in the debate that has formed around it.”