Israel ex-president Katsav paroled from prison rape term
JERUSALEM: An Israeli parole board on Sunday ordered the release of former president Moshe Katsav after serving five years of a seven-year term for rape and other sexual offences, his lawyer said.
“It was a very long journey,” Tzion Amir said in remarks broadcast on Israeli army radio.
“Today that journey reached its end with a reasoned decision by the parole committee.”
Justice officials could not be reached by AFP for further details, but media said Katsav’s release would be frozen for seven days for prosecutors to decide whether to appeal the decision.
Commentators said the chances of an appeal against the decision were minimal, however.
Amir said the 70-year-old Katsav burst into tears on hearing the ruling.
Katsav began his sentence in December 2011 and had already been rejected twice by the parole board since he became eligible for the customary one-third reduction for good behaviour behind bars.
His previous applications were turned down in part because he had expressed no remorse over his crimes and undergone no rehabilitative process.
Women’s rights groups had especially criticised his refusal to acknowledge the facts that led to his conviction and to express regrets.
Israeli media reported, however, that the parole board found Katsav had more recently ‘undergone a change’.
“The prisoner was asked many questions by the committee members regarding the circumstances of the offence, the victims’ positions, his attitude to the victims and his understanding of his acts and their consequences, and the committee members were impressed by the honesty of his intentions,” Haaretz newspaper reported the parole board as saying.
Once released, Katsav will face restrictions on his movements including a ban on overseas travel and a requirement to be at home between 10pm and 6am.
Judiciary sources said he would also not be allowed to grant an interview for two years, the time he would have had to serve as the remainder of his sentence.
The decision to free him was criticised by a group of opposition lawmakers including the leader of the Meretz party, Zehava Galon.
“This is a dangerous message that you can attack women and get away with it with the least punishment provided you are well- connected,” they said in a statement.
Katsav had maintained his innocence despite being convicted in December 2010 on two counts of rape, sexual harassment, indecent acts and obstruction of justice. — AFP