The court rejected a request for a plea bargain today in the trial for Elor Azariya, the soldier on trial for shooting a wounded terrorist in Hevron, according to Maariv.
Attorney Eyal Paltek claimed he was given special permission by the Azariya family to engage in negotiations with the military prosecutor in order to facilitate a plea bargain on Azariya's behalf.
Azariya’s official lawyers were not involved in these negotiations but did not object to them.
Charlie Azariya, the solder's father, is recovering from the stroke he had two months ago. Last month he begged the court to release his son for the holidays.
“For five months I’ve been fighting with the media, with the judicial system, it’s a massive amount of pressure,” he said in an interview with Channel 2. “I am fighting for my life, on a daily basis.”
Charlie demanded the court appoint an investigative committee to examine the way his son’s case has been handled. “You don’t need to be a detective to see that they are trying to influence the prosecution against my son. I understand the law, I know what witnesses are. When I see the injustice that is happening in this courthouse …It makes my head spin.”