Author: | Published: 3 hours ago

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has formally asked President Isaac Herzog for a pardon in relation to the corruption cases he has been fighting, according to western media reports including the BBC.

The president’s office said Herzog would first review assessments from legal officials before considering the request, noting that it “carries significant implications.”

Netanyahu has been on trial for five years on charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust across three separate cases, all of which he denies. In a video statement, he said he would have preferred to see the legal process through but claimed that national interests “demanded otherwise.”

Opposition parties argue that he should admit guilt before seeking a pardon.

Earlier this month, former U.S. President Donald Trump publicly urged Herzog to “fully pardon” Netanyahu. Herzog responded at the time that any pardon request must be formally submitted.

On Sunday, Herzog’s office published Netanyahu’s official request along with a letter from the prime minister, citing the “importance and implications” of the exceptional appeal. No timeline was given for when the president might decide.

Netanyahu became the first sitting Israeli prime minister to go on trial in 2020. In the first case, prosecutors alleged he received gifts—primarily cigars and bottles of champagne—from influential businessmen.

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