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JERUSALEM, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Israel's President Reuven Rivlin rejected on Monday a request by former prime minister Ehud Olmert to be pardoned, who was in jail for corruption, a spokesperson for the president said.
Rivlin said in a statement that "despite Olmert's long-year contribution to the country," the president's power to pardon convicted offenders should not become a mean to overrule the court's verdict.
The request for early release was submitted by Olmert's lawyers on Jan. 31, after Olmert served almost 12 months of his 19-month sentence for bribery and obstruction of justice.
Olmert could still appeal for early release from the Prison Service's parole board.
Olmert, who served as prime minister between 2006 and 2009, started to serve his term on Feb. 15, 2016, after the Supreme Court had reduced his six-year sentence to 18 months.
The court canceled a previous conviction in the so-called "Holyland case," a corruption affair involving a giant construction project in Jerusalem, but found him guilty in another bribery case and sentenced him an additional month for obstruction of justice.
Olmert, 71, is the first Israeli prime minister to serve time in jail.
In December, former President Moshe Katsav was freed on parole, after serving five of his seven-year sentence for rape and other sexual offenses.
