Israeli former president sentenced to seven years in prison

JERUSALEM. March 22. KAZINFORM Israeli former President Moshe Katzav, who has been convicted of committing rape and other sexual offenses against female employees, was sentenced by Tel Aviv District Court of a seven-year prison term Tuesday morning; Kazinform refers to Xinhua.

The former president was also sentenced to an additional two years of probation, and ruled to pay 100,000 shekels (about 28,000 U.S. dollars) to a major victim.

Katzav, the first president in the country's history to be convicted of rape, maintains that he is innocent; Kazinform cites Xinhua.

See www.xinhuanet.com/english2010