Israel ex-president Katsav denied early release from rape sentence

A parole board on Wednesday rejected a request for early release for Israeli ex-president Moshe Katsav, who began serving a seven-year prison term in 2011 for rape and other sexual offences. The justice ministry said the parole board found that Katsav, the first Israeli head of state to be sent to prison, "expressed no regret and no sympathy toward the victims of his crimes.