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Guilty Verdict for Former Israeli President

   VOA News 30 December 2010
   Former Israeli President Moshe Katsav (File)

Photo: AP

   Former Israeli President Moshe Katsav (File)

   An  Israeli  court  has convicted former President Moshe Katsav on two
   counts of rape and sexual harassment.
   The  Tel  Aviv court issued its verdict Thursday.  Mr. Katsav is also
   facing sexual misconduct charges involving two other women.
   The  accusations were made by women who worked for him while he served
   as  Israel's  tourism minister in the 1990s and president earlier this
   decade. Â
   The  Jerusalem  Post says during the court proceeding, the judges said
   the  accusers  had complained that Mr. Katsav had forced them to write
   love letters to him, in order to make it appear that their allegations
   were false.
   Women's  rights  groups  demonstrated outside of the court Thursday to
   show solidarity with his accusers.
   Mr.  Katsav  resigned from his mostly ceremonial position as president
   shortly before his term ended in 2007. Â
   He  initially agreed to a plea bargain that would have required him to
   admit  to  a  lesser  charge of sexual misconduct.  He later withdrew
   from that agreement so that he could stand trial.
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