Former Israeli president Moshe Katsav goes to prison for rape

December 7, 2011

Moshe Katsav, President of Israel from 2000 to 2007, is to start a seven-year prison sentence for rape today at in. Katsav was convicted of raping an employee twice in 1998, while he was tourism minister, and then later sexually abusing two other women as president.

Katsav claims he is innocent, telling the New York Times: “I’m about to pay the price for something I haven’t done”.

Katsav is expected to arrive at the prison at 10am Israeli local time (UTC+3) and will be placed in a wing for religiously observant prisoners. The prison have stated they do not believe him to be a suicide risk, and have also stated that they have no concerns with Katsav either potentially leaking state secrets or meeting prisoners he did not pardon while president.