By Euronews with AP
Published on
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked Israel’s president to grant him a pardon amid his long-running corruption trial.
In a statement released on Sunday, the prime minister’s office confirmed that Netanyahu had formally submitted the pardon request to the legal department of the President’s Office. The presidency described it as an “extraordinary request” with “significant implications,” adding that President Isaac Herzog would “carefully and sincerely consider it.”
In his brief, one-page letter, Netanyahu does not admit guilt for any wrongdoing. Instead, he acknowledges a “broad public and ethical responsibility” for the tension surrounding the ongoing proceedings.
Netanyahu is the first sitting Israeli prime minister to face trial, charged with fraud, breach of trust, and accepting bribes in three separate cases involving alleged exchanges of political favours with wealthy associates. He has not been convicted of any crime.