Netanyahu seeks pardon

ISRAEL'S Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked the country's president to grant him a pardon in his long-running corruption trial which has bitterly divided the nation.

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Mr Netanyahu, who has been at war against the country's legal system over the charges, said the request would help to unify the country at a time of momentous changes in the region, but it has triggered denunciations from his opponents, who said it would weaken Israel's democratic institutions and send a dangerous message that he is above the rule of law.

In a statement yesterday, the prime minister's office said Mr Netanyahu had submitted a request for a pardon to the legal department of the Office of the President. The office called it an "extraordinary request" with "significant implications".