This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/middle_east/7264223.stm
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Israel upholds Katsav plea deal | Israel upholds Katsav plea deal |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Israel's Supreme Court has upheld a controversial plea bargain that allows ex-President Moshe Katsav to escape rape charges and possible jail. | Israel's Supreme Court has upheld a controversial plea bargain that allows ex-President Moshe Katsav to escape rape charges and possible jail. |
| Under the terms of the deal which Mr Katsav made with the Attorney General, he will not be charged with rape. | Under the terms of the deal which Mr Katsav made with the Attorney General, he will not be charged with rape. |
| Instead, he pleads guilty to two charges of sexual harassment and will receive a suspended sentence. | Instead, he pleads guilty to two charges of sexual harassment and will receive a suspended sentence. |
| Allegations of rape and sexual harassment were made by four women who had worked for the former president. | Allegations of rape and sexual harassment were made by four women who had worked for the former president. |
| Women's rights have led the protests against the attorney general's decision to drop rape charges against Mr Katsav. | Women's rights have led the protests against the attorney general's decision to drop rape charges against Mr Katsav. |
| A panel of five judges voted by three to two to reject petitions from six individuals and organisations to overturn the plea bargain made in June last year. | A panel of five judges voted by three to two to reject petitions from six individuals and organisations to overturn the plea bargain made in June last year. |
| A lawyer for one of the women who accused Mr Katsav said she was "very much infuriated" by the court's decision. | |
| "If the attorney general's decision was wrong, deficient, riddled with shortcomings, distorts reality, causes many people emotional upheaval and leaves a woman's body defenceless, then I think it would have been proper to intervene in such a vile plea bargain," Kinneret Barashi told the Associated Press. | |
| Btu Mr Katsav's attorney, Zion Amir, said the former president had gone through enough. | |
| "This is not a victory. This is a sad day," he said. | |
| "After all, the former president went through a lot to reachthis point. From the start, I think the petitions wereunnecessary." | |
| Stepping down | |
| Originally, the police charged Moshe Katsav with rape, sexual harassment and abuse of power. | Originally, the police charged Moshe Katsav with rape, sexual harassment and abuse of power. |
| Part of the controversial deal was for Moshe Katsav to step down as president of Israel, a largely ceremonial role. | Part of the controversial deal was for Moshe Katsav to step down as president of Israel, a largely ceremonial role. |
| He will also have to pay damages to his accusers. | He will also have to pay damages to his accusers. |
| Rape convictions in Israel carry a maximum sentence of 16 years in prison. | Rape convictions in Israel carry a maximum sentence of 16 years in prison. |