Israeli ex-president jailed

Former Israeli president Moshe Katsav is starting a 7-year jail sentence for rape. The 66-year old will serve his term at Maasiyahu low-security prison outside Tel Aviv and the Israeli government says he will be subject to the same conditions as other prisoners. He is the first former head of state to be jailed in Israel.

Katsav was found guilty a year ago but was allowed to live at home while he appealed the conviction. The Supreme Court upheld the verdict but he maintains his innocence:

“Today in the state of Israel, they are executing a man, based on impressions, without testimonies from the actual events, without evidence.”

Katsav was found guilty of raping a former employee when he was a minister in the 1990’s and of sexually assaulting two other women during his presidential term between 2000 and 2007.

It was a case that captivated and horrified Israel.

Copyright © 2012 euronews