The Times of Israel reports: Israel Prisons Service parole board rejected Wednesday a plea for the early release of former president and convicted rapist Moshe Katsav, after delaying the decision twice in the past week. His attorney said the decision would be appealed.
After deliberating for over two hours, the board decided unanimously to turn down the request.
The board spent 11 hours last week reviewing Katsav’s case at a hearing during which the ex-president, at times in tears, made an effort to persuade its members to shave off one-third of his seven-year sentence while continuing to maintain his innocence.
Katsav, 70, was convicted on December 30, 2010, on two counts of rape, among other charges. He began serving his sentence in December 2011, and is slated for release in December 2018.
In citing the reasons for its decision, the board noted that Katsav continues to deny that he is guilty of the crimes for which he was convicted and to only care about his own condition and not that of his victims.
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