Europe Asia News

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that he has submitted a pardon request to the President to shorten the period required to expunge the criminal record of former soldier Elor Azaria, who was convicted in 2016 of fatally shooting a Palestinian attacker after he had already been neutralized.

Katz said that more than ten years have passed since the incident and that Azaria has fully served his sentence. He argued that it is unreasonable for a soldier convicted of an offense committed during an operational mission to continue facing severe consequences for many years.

Katz stated that Israel's security conditions have changed significantly since the October 7 attacks, adding that this period has demonstrated that Israeli soldiers operate under extremely challenging operational conditions.

Katz said, "Having served his sentence, Elor should be given the opportunity to turn a new page, reintegrate into society, work, earn a living, and build his future."