Five years after entering prison to begin serving a seven-year term, former President Moshe Katsav made a third request to a parole board for early release. This third request was approved on Sunday,18 Kislev.
Restrictions will accompany his release, including a ban on leaving Israel, a ban on moving to another address without prior approval and a commitment to attend therapy for at least six months and he must attend shiurei Torah in a beis medrash in Kiryat Malachi.
The former president will not be permitted to grant a press interview, and he may not hold any job in which his direct subordinates are women. It is yet to be determined if the prosecutor will appeal the early-release decision.
In the past, the state objected to the early release because Katsav has never admitted to his guilt or expressed remorse. Today however, with his willingness to attend Torah classes and meet with psychologists and social workers, the state believes he will learn the error of his ways and become a rehabilitate prisoner.
Undoubtedly women’s’ rights organizations will decry the decision and a petition challenging it is likely to be seen filed with the High Court of Justice. Many Israelis simply feel that such a high-ranking public official convicted of assaulting women must serve his entire sentence, in part as a deterrence and in part as a punishment for betraying the law and the public by his actions.
The Prison Authority has agreed to place a one-week hold on Mr. Katsav’s release pending a possible appeal by the state.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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4 Responses
Another innocent man 5 years in jail without proof or evidence and evil prosecutors. When will the apathy in Israel stop and force the removal of these self-elected corrupt judges?
Arye, if it was your wife or daughter saying she was a victim, you wouldn’t be so cavalier in your judgment.
It seems this is another example of a criminal finding religion. Will we see him in Chassidishe levush on his release?
#2 Don’t be so naive and don’t trust the Israeli court blindly esp. when most of those behind bars are innocent.
Do you know that over 90% of such accusations worldwide are false? This is an old tactic of women taking revenge on men, employers, employees, neighbors etc.
One should be innocent until proven guilty. In Israel it’s “one is guilty until proven innocent”. Accusations without evidence like in this case should be dismissed. The court never had any evidence for Katzav.
Leave the poor man alone already.
He served enough time.