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Committee accepts parole for imprisoned Israeli ex-president

After serving five years for assaulting several women, Katsav will be released from prison.

An Israeli parole board has accepted an appeal for early release by a former president who is serving a prison sentence for sex crimes.

The board ruled Sunday that Moshe Katsav will be freed next week after serving five years of his seven-year jail term. The board had twice rejected Katsav’s parole requests.

Katsav’s attorney, Zion Amir, said his client burst into tears upon hearing the news.

The state attorney requested that the release be postponed by a week to leave room for an appeal.

If released, he will be faced with several constraints, including a ban on media interviews.

Katsav resigned in June 2007 after being charged with rape and sexual harassment. After a prolonged legal battle and several appeals,  he began his sentence in 2011 and has repeatedly professed his innocence.

Israel’s presidency is a largely ceremonial office, typically filled by a respected elder statesman expected to rise above politics and serve as a moral compass. Most political power is in the hands of the prime minister.

By: AP and World Israel News Staff