Yigal Amir
Yigal AmirHARNIK NATI\GPO

The Israel Prison Service rejected the request by Yigal Amir to go on leave from the prison where he is serving a life sentence.

Under the usual procedure in the Israel Prison Service, inmates serving life sentences are not entitled to furloughs before their sentence is finalized.

However, it is unlikely that Amir's life sentence will ever be finalized due a law passed in 2001 to prevent Amir from ever being eligible for parole or presidential pardon.

Under the law, the special parole board which discusses shortening the prison term of convicts will not be able to recommend either pardon or reduced sentencing for someone convicted of assassinating a prime minister for political-ideological reasons.

The IPS stated that prisoner Yigal Amir submitted a request to the command of Eshel Prison to go on a special vacation to celebrate Bar Mitzvah on November 6, 2011. The application was submitted during the month of September and was examined by the relevant intelligence and security officials. The IPS did not approve the request. An inmate's petition has been filed, which will be heard this coming Wednesday at the Eshel Petitions Complex in Be'er Sheva.