Disgraced former Israeli president Katsav begins journey to jail

Dec 7, 2011, 7:43 GMT

Tel Aviv - Disgraced former Israeli President Moshe Katsav left his home in southern Israel Wednesday, en route to a prison where he will serve a seven-year sentence for rape and sexual harassment.

Surrounded by family, supporters and journalists, Katsav continued to maintain his innocence, telling reporters, in remarks aired on live television, that Israel was 'burying a man alive.'

He said his upcoming appeal, before an expanded panel of judges, would lead to his acquittal.

The former president, who turned 66 on Monday, will serve his sentence at Ma'asyahu prison, near the central Israeli city of Ramle.

Katsav was convicted a year ago on two counts of rape. The woman, identified in court only as 'A,' was his office manager when he was tourism minister in 1998. Other women made similar allegations.

He was handed a seven-year jail term and a two-year suspended sentence in March, as well as a fine, and should have entered prison on May 8, but appealed.

Both the verdict and the seven-year sentence were upheld by the supreme court in Jerusalem in November.

He has lodged a second appeal against his conviction, which will be heard on January 8.