Israeli President Isaac Herzog has cleared the criminal record of former soldier Elor Azaria, who was convicted of manslaughter for shooting dead a wounded Palestinian in the West Bank in 2016.
Herzog on Saturday approved Azaria’s request to shorten the remaining period before his criminal record would be erased, allowing it to be cleared immediately rather than in 2032. The decision came despite opposition from senior Israeli military officials.
Azaria, then a combat medic, shot 21-year-old Abdel Fattah al-Sharif in the head as he lay wounded and incapacitated in Hebron on 24 March 2016, around 11 minutes after al-Sharif had been shot following a stabbing attack on an Israeli soldier. The shooting was captured on video and triggered widespread controversy.
Herzog’s office said the decision reflected the time that had passed, the consequences Azaria had faced and the sorrow he had expressed, while stressing that it did not undermine the military court proceedings against him.
However, Israeli military officials had opposed the request. Army chief Eyal Zamir and other senior officers argued that Azaria had not expressed remorse or accepted responsibility for his actions. Azaria has previously maintained that he acted correctly.
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.
Defence Minister Israel Katz, who backed Azaria’s request, welcomed Herzog’s decision, saying the former soldier had served his sentence and should be allowed to “open a new chapter” in his life.
The case deeply divided Israel, with senior military figures defending Azaria’s prosecution while prominent politicians and sections of the public rallied behind him.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has ordered Iran's armed forces to respond to any threat immediately and without geographical li...
A tenth-grade student was critically injured after a man attacked her with a chainsaw inside a classroom in Andhra Pradesh’s Anantapur distri...
Cryptocurrencies are volatile, and their crashes make headlines. But does a slump in digital coins ever spill over into the pounds, dollars and eur...
Evacuations and the provision of humanitarian aid in the Russian-occupied southern Ukrainian town of Oleshky have begun, a senior Ukrainian official said on Friday. In a statement on Telegram, David Arakhamia said a six-day ceasefire was holding, and that more details would follow.
Qatari mediators returned to Tehran on Friday as part of efforts to reach a deal between the U.S. and Iran, according to an official briefed on the talks.
The U.S. has approved the sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 missiles to Ukraine in a deal worth an estimated $2.1 billion, but Kyiv could face years of delays before receiving the weapons it urgently needs to defend against intensifying Russian attacks.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has ordered Iran's armed forces to respond to any threat immediately and without geographical limits in statements posted to social media platforms on Saturday (31 October).
Hackers have pulled off a staggering $6.3 billion cryptocurrency heist targeting Binance, shaking confidence in one of the world's biggest digital asset exchanges and sending crypto prices tumbling. U.S. analysts suspect North Korea was behind the attack.
Demonstrators carrying Iranian flags and placards supporting the hijab gathered outside the Azerbaijani Embassy in London.
Opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan surged by 330 per cent in 2026 despite a four-year ban, the United Nations said on Thursday. Afghan authorities disputed the findings, while Japan urged continued support for farmers seeking alternative livelihoods.
Central Asia could gain up to $640 million a year from closer energy cooperation, but strained electricity grids threaten to limit those gains, with Kazakhstan particularly exposed to regional power shortages and growing pressure on its network.
Georgia and Azerbaijan are stepping up efforts to boost trade, strengthen transport links between Asia and Europe and resolve a longstanding border dispute, as both countries seek to deepen their strategic partnership.
People travelling between Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Azerbaijan could soon be able to pay for purchases using their usual banking apps. Central banks from the five countries are working on linking their national payment systems.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment