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Tel Aviv (Israel), Mar. 22 : Former Israeli president Moshe Katsav has been sent to jail for seven years and two years probation for rape and sexual harassment.
Tel Aviv District Court Judges George Karra, Judith Shevach and Miriam Sokolov also ruled that Katsav pay NIS 100,000 to victim "Aleph" from the Tourism Ministry.
The judges agreed that Katsav begin his sentencing in 45 days time on May 8, the Jerusalem Post reports.
Judge Judith Shevach expressed a minority opinion that Katsav's punishment should be lightened to four years.
Katsav broke down in tears upon hearing the judges' decision, saying: " they are wrong. They made a serious mistake it will be proven. The lie won the day, you will all see."
He added: "The women know that they lied. I was not given a chance to defend myself...you kept interrupting my testimony. Katsav's lawyer Tzion Amir asked the court to postpone the sentence until a verdict is given in the appeal to the Supreme Court."
The judges stated that Katsav's punishment would begin in 45 days time.
Judge George Karra read out the argument for sentencing, saying: "The victims of the accused were subject to sexual harassment and were in distressful situations that caused them to be afraid... The repeated nature of the offenses over a long period of time shows a behavior pattern that is a reason for harsh punishment."
"Katsav's high rank can't be taken to his credit, on the contrary it makes his acts more severe," Judge Karra said.
"The higher the rank, the greater the disappointment," he added
The decision, which carries with it historic significance, not just for Katsav but for the entire legal system and the country as a whole - brought to an end a two-year trial and a saga that has fascinated the Israeli public for more than five years.
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