The Israel Prison Authority parole board on Wednesday, 27 Adar-II rejected the request from former President Moshe Katsav to remove one-third from his prison sentence for good behavior as is customary in the prison system. The parole board delayed announcing its decision twice in the last week, preferring to take additional time to reach its decision amid a public debate for and against the decision.

Katsav, 70, has already served 4.5 years of his seven-year sentence and expected to receive the one-third reduction, which would have permitted his release this month. However, the parole board voted against it.

Katsav’s attorney earlier this week asked to build a new rehabilitation program for him but because a strike among prosecutors, this did not occur. In addition, a representative of the prosecution did not appear for today’s hearing, hence it is not known if this will impact an appeal that is expected challenging the parole board’s decision.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)