Former President Moshe Katsav continues his media blitz in his last days of freedom. In an interview with Israel Radio on Thursday, Katsav stressed he does not intend to take his own life but noted, "I've hit rock bottom."
Asked about rumors suggesting he may commit suicide he said, "I have no such thoughts and I think whoever spreads such rumors is plotting against me."
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Katsav nevertheless described his state of emotional distress a week after the Supreme Court rejected his appeal over his rape conviction. "I'm in the midst of an emotional turmoil. I've hit rock bottom."
Katsav in court. 'Who else can withstand this tsunami?' (Photo: Omer Meiron)
"Who else can withstand a five and a half-year tsunami which draws a person's blood on a daily basis using all means and leaving one to stand up alone against the world in a fight for innocence."
The former president admitted he has been driven to collapse but stressed he will never admit to any wrongdoing. "For as long as I live I will continue to fight for my innocence despite the fact that I respect the court's decision," he proclaimed.
The former president claimed that Knesset members and political lobbyists tried to end his career by intervening with the police investigation. He claimed that some of them wanted to get back at him for getting fired or for not being hired and mentioned MK Shelly Yachimovitch in this context.
He said that the legal system, affected by the "media lynch atmosphere" had committed an "execution" in his case.
"One cannot execute a person after five years of daily media lynching solely based on impressions from witnesses. The district court had erred but it cannot convict while preventing me from showing an alibi."
Katsav claimed that the judges refused to hear an alibi witness the defense wished to include in the trial. "He's in the US," he mentioned noting that the court had refused to hold a video conference.
Katsav also noted the fact that in former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's trial the judges went all the way to the US to hear witness testimonies.
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