LEAD: Disgraced former Israeli president Katsav begins jail sentence

Dec 7, 2011, 9:22 GMT

Tel Aviv - Disgraced former Israeli President Moshe Katsav entered prison Wednesday to begin serving a seven-year sentence for rape and sexual harassment.

Maintaining his innocence, Katsav insisted the state was 'burying a man alive.'

Katsav, who turned 66 on Monday, arrived at the minimum-security Ma'asayahu prison, near Ramle in central Israel, shortly after 10am (0800 GMT). He was met at the entrance by two warders, who escorted him inside, shutting the door firmly behind them.

Earlier Wednesday, Katsav insisted he was innocent of the crimes for which he had been convicted, saying, 'Today in Israel, a man is executed.'

Emerging from his home in the southern town of Kiryat Malachi, Katsav told dozens of journalists and supporters waiting for him that, 'one day the truth will be uncovered.'

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

Katsav has maintained throughout the last 5 years that the accusations against him are false. He rejected a plea bargain which would have seen him convicted on lesser charges, saying he wanted to prove his innocence.

Katsav will be housed in the religious wing of Ma'asayahu prison, where devout inmates are incarcerated. The 72 convicts in the wing do not have access to television, and spend most of their time studying Jewish law and ethics.

Initially, the former president will be under constant supervision to ensure he does not commit suicide, and will share a cell with former government minister Shlomo Benizri, who is serving four years for corruption.

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.

Israelis followed the trial closely, shocked at the revelations involving Katsav, the higest-ranking official or former official to be brought to trial in Israel's history.