OMM Redaksiyası
Israeli President Isaac Herzog has approved a request to expunge the criminal record of former soldier Elor Azaria, who was convicted of killing a wounded Palestinian.
Herzog agreed on Saturday to shorten the remaining period before Azaria’s record was cleared. As a result, it will be expunged immediately rather than in 2032.
The incident occurred on March 24, 2016, in Hebron in the West Bank. Azaria, then a military medic, shot 21-year-old Abdel Fattah al-Sharif in the head as he lay wounded and motionless on the ground following a stabbing attack.
Al-Sharif had been shot and wounded about 11 minutes earlier after attacking an Israeli soldier. The incident was filmed and sparked widespread controversy.
Herzog’s office said the decision took into account the time that had passed since the incident, the consequences Azaria had faced and the regret he had expressed. The office stressed that the decision did not call into question the military court proceedings.
Senior Israeli military officials opposed the request. Army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and other officers said Azaria had not expressed remorse or accepted responsibility. Azaria had previously defended his actions as correct.
Azaria was convicted of manslaughter in January 2017 and sentenced to 18 months in prison. His sentence was later reduced by four months, and he was released in May 2018 after serving nine months.
Defense Minister Israel Katz welcomed Herzog’s decision. He said the former soldier had served his sentence and should be allowed to “turn a new page” in his life.
The Azaria case caused deep divisions in Israeli society. While military leaders defended his prosecution, prominent politicians and some members of the public supported the former soldier.
