THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Israel's former president, Moshe Katsav, broke down in tears as he was jailed for seven years following a rape trial.The sentence, much harsher than expected, brought to an end the most unedifying of a series of scandals that has badly tarnished the image of Israel's political elite.
Katsav, who served as head of state from 2000 to 2007, was convicted last December of twice raping a female employee at Israel's tourism ministry and sexually harassing a subordinate who worked at the presidential residence.
A three-judge panel at Tel Aviv's district court told the former president, a 65-year-old immigrant from Iran, that he could expect no leniency given the severity of his crimes.
"The defendant committed the crime and like every other person, he must bear the consequences," the judges said, according to a[n] official transcript of the closed-door hearing. "No man is above the law."
Katsav lost control of himself and began to harangue the judges, shouting: "You are mistaken, ma'am, you are mistaken! You have committed an injustice! You allowed lies to emerge victorious." » | Adrian Blomfield, Jerusalem | Tuesday, March 22, 2011
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