Israeli court upholds disgraced former Presidents' conviction

Nov 10, 2011 |

JERUSALEM

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Disgraced former Israeli President Moshe Katsav failed to get a reprieve as the country's Supreme Court on Thursday upheld his conviction on charges of rape and other sexual offences, paving the way for his march to jail to serve a seven year sentence.

The ruling by a three-member bench rejected Katsav's appeal against the jail sentence handed down by the Tel Aviv District Court, capping a long and sordid chapter in the country's history.

Supreme Court justices, Miriam Naor, Edna Arbel and Salim Joubran unanimously rejected his appeal, deciding not to intervene in the Tel Aviv District Court's rape conviction.

The former President was sentenced to seven years in prison in March after he was found guilty of two counts of rape, two counts of sexual harassment, an indecent act using force, and obstruction of justice.

Katsav, 65, decided to appeal his rape conviction and claimed that the sexual relations he had with the complainant were consensual.

The court has allowed to give the former Israeli leader one month 'to put his affairs in order'. He will begin serving his sentence in December.

The former president was convicted of raping and sexually assaulting a former employee at the Tourism Ministry while he was tourism minister.

In the course of his 18 month trial, Katsav was portrayed as a sexual predator who routinely harassed his female staff and his trial captured the country's attention for five years.

Katsav was convicted of sexually abusing and harassing two female employees at the President's residence and ordered to pay USD 28,000 to the first victim who was raped and USD 7,000 to the second victim who faced molestation.

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