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Former Israeli President Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison

   VOA News  March 22, 2011
   Former  Israeli  President Moshe Katsav, center, leaves a court in Tel
   Aviv, (File)

Photo: AP

   Former  Israeli  President Moshe Katsav, center, leaves a court in Tel
   Aviv, (File)

   An  Israeli  court has sentenced former Israeli President Moshe Katsav
   to seven years in prison for rape and other sexual assault offenses.
   Katsav was convicted in December of raping a former employee twice and
   molesting or sexually harassing two other women.
   Katsav  had  denied the charges and turned down a plea bargain, opting
   instead for a trial to clear his name.
   Israeli  Prime  Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the case a âsad day
   for  the  state  of  Israel,â while women's rights groups welcomed the
   verdict.
   The  case  stemmed from accusations made by three women who worked for
   Katsav  while  he served as Israel's tourism minister in the 1990s and
   president earlier this decade. Â
   Katsav  resigned  from  his  mostly  ceremonial  position as president
   shortly before his term ended in 2007. Â

   Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

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