Former President Moshe Katsav's attorneys are slated to petition the Supreme Court for an extended panel of judges to discuss their client's appeal, Ynet learned on Sunday.
The honorable Miriam Naor, Edna Arbel and Salim Joubran have been named to as the judges in the appeal, and according to legal experts, all three are known to rule on the austere side of the law, and "are unlikely to show any leniency to those convicted of grave sexual offences, like Katsav."
Attorneys Zion Amir, Avigdor Feldman, Avi Levy and Mickey Hova filed a motion stating that the case involves complex legal issues which may warrant an extended panel in light of Katsav's status and the case's public nature.
"This is an unusual case in the history of Israeli law," they stated.
The attorneys also petitioned the court to discuss the claim that the former president had an affair with A. from the Tourism Ministry, which the District Court rejected completely.
The Supreme Court will also be asked to discuss whether the statute of limitation applies to the case. The District Court ruled that the testimonies of complainants who failed to be included in the indictment reaffirmed other complainants' claims. Katsav's attorneys reject this claim and are demanding that the court address this issue.
The attorneys claimed that the Supreme Court has an obligation to check this claim independently.
A senior legal source told Ynet that whether the petition stems from true concern or is simply a legal maneuver meant to delay the proceedings further, "It still states mistrust in the current panel."
The source added that the changes of Supreme Court President Dorit Beinish granting the petition is slim, since it is largely without merit. "An extended panel is named when a case entails special circumstance," the source said. "This case has none."
Furthermore, other legalists said that the petition, which they too described as "exaggerated," may work against the former president.