Katsav following his sentencing
Photo: AP
Katsav 'shocked' by court records' release
Former president said to be 'frustrated, enraged' over court's decision to publish trial minutes pertaining only to prosecution's case; attorneys say timing suspicious
"I feel personally persecuted by the court," former President Moshe Katsav said Thursday, in the wake of the Tel Aviv District Court's decision to partially release several of the testimonies heard during his trial.
Following a lengthy trial, the former president was recently convicted of several counts of rape and was sentenced to seven years in prison.
Minutes
Naama Cohen-Friedman
Tel Aviv District Court releases protocols of Moshe Katsav's trial as former president prepares to begin serving seven-year sentence
The same associates told Ynet that Katsav felt persecuted by the Tel Aviv District Court, which – according to him – seems to be determined to deny him his rights.
Attorney Zion Amir, who represents the former president, noted that "the court should have taken a completely different course of action and exercise due caution and discretion, as this case mandates."
What seems most puzzling to Katsav and his defense team, is the Tel Aviv District Court's timing, as the records were made public only a few days before the Supreme Court hears an appeal regarding Katsav's sentence.
"The verdict was rendered almost five months ago and the sentence about a month and a half ago. The timing of this publication, just days before the hearing, leaves us with a heavy heart," said Amir.
"Once the court decided to publish the prosecution's evidence, it should have done the same with the defense's evidence."
"I find it strange that the court – despite our requests – decided to release only records pertaining to the prosecution's witnesses," added Attorney Avraham Lavie.
According to Lavie, this biased decision prevents the public from fully understanding the case in its most critical time. "This hinders the public's right to know and understand the legal proceedings," he said. "With all due respect, Mr. Katsav has been wronged."
The court's spokesperson denied the allegations as "completely groundless."
Naama Cohen-Friedman contributed to this report
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