(MENAFN) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu formally submitted a request on Sunday seeking a presidential pardon for his corruption allegations.

President Isaac Herzog’s office stated that the petition will be forwarded to the Justice Ministry’s Pardons Department for review.

Following this, the president’s legal advisors will provide guidance before Herzog makes a final decision.

“The President's Office recognizes that this is an exceptional request with significant implications, and the President will consider it after receiving all opinions,” the statement emphasized.

Netanyahu’s submission included a comprehensive letter from his attorney, along with one personally signed by the prime minister.

The office noted that the letters may be publicly released due to “the importance of this exceptional request and its repercussions.”

In the letter, Netanyahu wrote, “Despite my personal interest in conducting the trial and proving my innocence until full acquittal, I believe the public interest dictates otherwise,” as cited by a newspaper.

He argued that “ending the trial will help lower the intensity of the flames in the debate that has formed around it.”

Netanyahu, whose trial commenced on May 24, 2020, became the first sitting Israeli leader to appear as a criminal defendant in the nation’s history. He is confronting three separate corruption cases, all of which he denies.

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