'Pardons for Schalit deal prisoners to be finished on time'

President Peres, responsible for issuing pardons to prisoners to be released in exchange for captive IDF soldier.

By GREER FAY CASHMAN
Shimon Peres 311 (photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem/The Jerusalem Post)
Shimon Peres 311
(photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem/The Jerusalem Post)
President Shimon Peres on Monday morning said that everything related to the pardons of prisoners in the exchange deal for Gilad Schalit would be completed on time.
The High Court of Justice ruled on Sunday that it will hear a petition at noon on Monday against the release of 1,027 Palestinian prisoners involved in the exchange deal to release Schalit. The first group of 477 prisoners, whose names were published Sunday, are expected to be released on Tuesday at the same time that Hamas hands over Schalit. The list includes 450 males and 27 females.RELATED:'Gaza blockade unaffected by Schalit agreement'Defense Ministry green lights prisoner transferIDF finalizes timeline for Schalit’s return"Today is a very special day," Peres told reporters congregated in his succa in the presidential residence.
"These are not only long days, but very sensitive days," said Peres. "We're all very excited, this is a one time event with a lot of hope, but a lot of trepidation," he added.
"Israel has confronted many problems, but also has enjoyed many successes," said Peres, referring specifically to the difficulty in locating Schalit's place of captivity.
"I'm always surprised that we have committees of inquiry regarding our problems," said Peres, "but no one has ever commissioned a committee of inquiry to investigate our successes. It's time that we did," he stated, "so that we can achieve a greater perspective balance when looking at our history."
Staff members in the legal department of the president's bureau have been burning the midnight oil to process some 200 files of Palestinian prisoners, convicted on various charges of terrorism, who are to receive pardons in exchange for Schalit.
According to the president’s spokeswoman, Ayelet Frish, the legal department worked through the night on Sunday and all day and night Monday to prepare the necessary paperwork.
Frish said that in effect, the prisoners are not being pardoned. Instead their sentences are being commuted.
In fact, Peres has decided to attach a statement to each commutation that he signs declaring that he neither forgets nor forgives, but that the sentence has been commuted for a specific reason.
Peres has insisted that each document that the legal department prepares for his signature be accompanied by details of the crime committed and the sentence handed down.
Peres will sign the commutations for prisoners from Gaza and from within Israel, while the head of Central Command will sign the commutations for prisoners from Judea and Samaria.
He is due to meet with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu just prior to the exchange. The documents will not be made available to the prisoners until it is known for a fact that Gilad Schalit is no longer in Gaza.
Joanna Paraszczuk contributed to this report.
Click for full JPost coverage of Gilad Schalit
Click for full JPost coverage of Gilad Schalit