Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu submit official request on Sunday make president pardon am from di corruption charges.
President Isaac Herzog office talk for statement say dem go refer di request go Justice Ministry Pardons Department make dem give opinion, and after dat the president legal counsel go review am before Herzog go finally decide.
"President Office sabi say na exceptional request wey get serious implications, and the President go consider am after e don receive all di opinions," di statement talk.
Dem talk say di request carry detailed letter wey Netanyahu lawyer sign and another wey Netanyahu sign personally. Dem add say dem allow make dem publish di letters publicly because "di importance of this exceptional request and its repercussions."
First Israeli PM to take the stand in criminal case
For di letter, Netanyahu talk say: "Despite my personal interest in conducting the trial and proving my innocence until full acquittal, I believe the public interest dictates otherwise," — the words dem appear for Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper.
E add say "ending the trial will help lower the intensity of the flames in the debate that has formed around it."
Netanyahu, whose trial began on May 24, 2020, na di first sitting Israeli leader wey don take stand as criminal defendant for di country's history. E dey face three separate corruption cases, and e deny all of dem.
According to Israeli law, di president get power to pardon criminals or reduce dia sentences based on necessary information or opinions from relevant authorities, like di ministers of justice or defence.
ICC war crimes case
US President Donald Trump don several times call on Herzog make e grant pardon to di prime minister.
Di Israeli premier still face charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Di International Criminal Court (ICC) issue arrest warrants for am and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant in November 2024 over atrocities for Gaza, where pass 70,000 people, mostly women and children, don die since October 2023.
