Former Israeli leader Olmert leaves prison
JERUSALEM—Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert left prison Sunday after winning early release from a parole board, capping an ignominious chapter of Israeli history that transformed the once-powerful leader into the first premier ever to be placed behind bars.
Olmert, who served 16 months for his role in a corruption scandal, appeared gaunt and pale as he walked out of the Maasiyahu prison in central Israel. Wearing a tight black T-shirt, he was quickly whisked away by security, but later was seen mingling with shoppers in an upscale shopping mall in Tel Aviv.
“We are very happy, a great burden has been lifted and a great sorrow and pain has ended,” Eti Livni, a friend of Olmert’s, told Army Radio.
Olmert, 71, was serving a 27-month sentence when the national parole board decided last week to release him early for good behavior. Olmert had recently been hospitalized after complaining of chest pains.
Under the terms of his release, Olmert must perform volunteer work for several months, report to police twice a month and not give interviews to the media or leave the country, said prison service spokesman Assaf Librati. Olmert will reportedly volunteer at a food bank and for a group that provides medical aid to needy families.
A few hours after his release, a somber-looking Olmert, accompanied by a bodyguard, was seen walking around a shopping mall in Tel Aviv.
A public relations company representing the mall released photos of the former premier in a clothing store.
The statement said people had greeted him and wished him well, and in one picture, a smiling Olmert is seen chatting with a store employee.