State rebuffs Katsav’s petition for new hearing

The State Attorney’s office on Sunday responded to a petition for a new hearing by former president Moshe Katsav by saying that new evidence presented by the convicted rapist’s lawyers did not warrant an additional appeal.

The State asserted that the new evidence in question is not exculpatory, and therefore would not be enough to overturn Katsav’s convictions, Channel 2 reported.

In February, 2011, Katsav was convicted of two counts of rape and other sexual offenses.

One month later he was sentenced to seven years in prison.