Parole board observes ‘seeds’ of repentance in Katsav

In its decision, the parole board concedes that it has observed “seeds” of repentance in Katsav, who has throughout his incarceration professed his innocence.

A prison evaluation presented to the board says that “our impression was that there are initial signs of understanding of his personality flaws, which led him to take advantage of others, harm them, and use his power while serving in a role of power and authority. In our view, this marks a change — even if minimal — from our earlier assessments.”

The prison evaluation quotes Katsav as saying: “I no longer want to prove my innocence, I have no strength to wage a campaign… I’m not waging a campaign… I’m tired, I have no strength for anything.”

The parole board writes that based on the evaluation and Katsav’s testimony, “those first seeds [of change] were seen” by members of the board.

“However, in the opinion of the parole board, the prisoner’s process [of repentance] has not been completed and he still needs to refine and deepen this [awareness],” the decision says.

In light of this perceived change, the parole board gives Katsav six months to undergo rehabilitation in prison. After that period, the board will reconsider his release, it says.

The decision also notes that while the board members were initially divided on the issue, after hours of debate, the decision was approved unanimously.