Legal experts estimated on Monday morning that the chances that Yigal Amir would be granted a retrial were extremely slim.

President Moshe Katsav declared on Monday that he would not grant Amir a pardon. In a meeting with Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, Katsav also said that he would instruct his successor not to consider any leniencies on the issue.

Two days after it was revealed that Amir's family was promoting a campaign to bring about his release, Channel 2 revealed on Sunday night that Amir plans on requesting a retrial, on the grounds that there was a contradiction between ballistic evidence from the crime scene and the video that captured the murder.

Amir's fiance Larissa Trimbobler told Army Radio on Monday morning that Amir's request has nothing to do with the upcoming 10th anniversary of the assassination.

She claimed that Amir decided to ask for a retrial after he had heard Pnina Guy, who was the prosecutor in the case, describe the chain of events that led to Rabin's death. "Guy said things that totally contradict ballistic evidence," she said.

According to Trimbobler, "[Amir] didn't change his version. This is what he said all along. Guy said he moved in during the shooting so that the third shot went off at point blank range, while the gun touched Rabin's jacket."

"Amir," continued Trimbobler, "Never said that he had shot Rabin at point blank range. This is also seen in the video."

Trimbobler maintained that Amir had indeed confessed to his intent and to the fact that he had fired at Rabin. However, she claimed that the third and fatal shot was not fired by Amir.

When asked who else fired at Rabin, Trimbobler responded, "I don't know. Neither Amir nor myself engage in speculations. The authorities are the ones that need to make sure all aspects of the investigation are covered."

Meanwhile, the Israeli Prison Service on Monday asked the Tel Aviv District Court to extend the order enabling the service to prolong Amir's solitary confinement by an additional six months.

According to the IPS, Amir should not be allowed to be in contact with other inmates since according to intelligence information, far right wing activists are trying to make contact with Amir.