Israeli President Reuven Rivlin on Sunday rejected a request to pardon a soldier convicted of manslaughter for shooting dead a Palestinian man.

His decision came after the Israeli military chief of staff reduced the sentence for Elor Azaria, 20, who shot dead 21-year-old Abdel al Fattah al-Sharif at close range in Hebron.

A statement by Rivlin’s office confirmed that it had formally rejected the pardon for Elor Azaria.

“President Reuven Rivlin today took the decision to deny the request for pardon filed by Elor Azaria,” it said in an English-language statement, exactly one month after the jailed soldier submitted the request.