Justice Minister Meir Shetreet has informed President Moshe Katzav that he objects to the granting of a pardon to Margalit Har-Shefi. He said that the recommendations of the Pardons Division in the Justice Ministry in the case are acceptable to him. Har-Shefi, 25, began a nine-month sentence on March 21 after being convicted of not preventing the assassination of Yitzchak Rabin. Many judicial experts objected to the conviction and the sentence.



Atty. Naftali Vertzberger told Arutz-7\'s Yosef Zalmanson today that President Katzav is free to pardon her even against the Justice Minister\'s opinion. \"I recall a case,\" Vertzberger said, \" in which I submitted an appeal to the Supreme Court when then-President Weizman decided to pardon several Arab terrorists against the recommendation of then-Justice Minister Tzachi HaNegbi. The Supreme Court ruled that the President was free to act independently of the Justice Minister\'s recommendation.\" Vertzberger noted that Katzav\'s options include, in addition to granting Har-Shefi a full pardon or clemency, reducing her sentence or downgrading it to public service. The President may be faxed at (+972-2) 561-1033; more information on the case can be found at \"www.harshefi.org.il/Eng/index.htm.\"