It is being reported that former Shas minister, Rabbi Shlomo Benizri, will not be released from prison before Iyar, while he believed he was going to be set free in Adar, to spend Purim at home with his family.

Kikar Shabbat reports it has learned that due to the release of over 1,000 ‘prisoners’ in the Gilad Shalit prisoner release deal, the prison authority cannot release, or process the release of additional prisoners receiving early release and therefore, Benizri will not be home for Purim as he expected.

The former minister entered prison before Rosh Hashanah 2009 for a four-year term following his conviction on fraud and related charges. He was sentenced on June 24, 2009. It appears he will merit early release, but not as early as he hoped, apparently due to the Shalit deal.

In a somewhat related story, if former President Moshe Katsav requests placement in the religious wing as he is set to begin his 7-year term in the coming days, he will be sharing a cell with Benizri until the latter is released. Legal analysts state this will not be the case since the former president was convicted of violent crimes which do not entitle him the privilege of being in the low-security white collar religious wing.

Kikar adds that members of the former minister’s family and Shas cabinet ministers visit him every Sunday.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)