[JURIST] Former Israeli president Moshe Katsav [BBC profile; JURIST news archive] appealed to the Israeli Supreme Court [official website, in Hebrew] on Monday, shortly before he was to begin a seven-year prison sentence for rape and sexual assault [JURIST report]. The 300-page appeal includes requests [Jerusalem Post report] that Katsav’s prison term be postponed until after his appeal as well as for the court to show “special consideration” in deference to Katsav’s former status as a state figure. The Tel Aviv District Court [official website] convicted Katsav [JURIST report] in December, finding that he assaulted a female employee of the Department of Tourism during his time as minister and two women at the President’s Residence during his time as president. Katsav’s appeal puts forth that his relationship with the female employee was consensual and the trying judiciary was biased against him due to the media’s pervasiveness during the trial. Although the appeal has not been made public, Katsav’s defense team has requested the Supreme Court release all documents surrounding it. A decision on the document release is expected for Thursday.

Katsav was initially indicted on rape charges [JURIST report] in 2009 for allegedly assaulting female employees in the 1990s. In 2008, Katsav rejected a plea agreement [JURIST report] that would have permitted him to plead guilty to lesser charges of indecent assault, sexual harassment and obstruction of justice in exchange for a suspended sentence and the dropping of rape charges. The plea deal had been criticized [JURIST report] by women’s and civil rights activists, prompting five separate petitions to overturn the agreement.