TEL AVIV, Israel: An Israeli court sentenced former president Moshe Katsav to seven years in prison Tuesday for raping a former employee, capping a five-year saga that turned a working-class hero into the country's highest-ranking official ever ordered to jail. The case has riveted Israel, sparking heated debate about equality before the law, women's rights and the role of the media. Vowing to appeal, Katsav shouted at the judges: “You have committed an injustice! The verdict is untrue. It is a lie. The lies have won!” The court ordered Katsav, 65, to report to prison on May 8, giving him time to prepare an appeal before the Supreme Court that his attorneys said they will file promptly. Katsav has denied the charges, but the court said unequivocally that the accusers' versions of events were more credible. Although Israel's Supreme Court has in the past overturned high-profile convictions based on reasonable doubt, most analysts see an uphill struggle for Katsav.
