 Most of his defence team also quit in protest.His father and only remaining lawyer claimed later that during a meeting between Maj. Gen. Sharon Afek and Azaria's main defense lawyers Ilan Katz and Eyal Besserglick, they had been threatened that if they appealed against the verdict, IDF would file a counter-appeal for stricter sentence.IDF and both Katz and Besserglick denied this.