Court: Katsav ruling to be held in front of press

After requests by media, verdict in case of former president to be read in public; privacy of complaining woman to be maintained throughout.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Moshe Katsav 311 (photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski)
Moshe Katsav 311
(photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski)
Tel Aviv District Court on Sunday decided that the ruling in the case of former president Moshe Katsav will take place with open doors and members of the press will be allowed to cover the proceedings.
There will not, however, be a live broadcast from the court.
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The most important parts of the ruling will be read while maintaining the privacy and identity of the female complainant.
Judges George Kara, Miriam Sokolov and Yehudit Sabah said that "in an attempt to balance the public principle of protecting the woman who complained of sexual harassment and the privacy of others," the media will be able to sit in the court when the verdict is read, thus avoiding the exposure of the woman's privacy.
Requests to read the ruling in with the media present were submitted last week after the court announced that the verdict would be delivered behind closed doors.
Various journalists claimed that the public's right to know requires that the ruling be held in public.
Katsav was charged in 2007 with two rape charges and other sexual crimes against three women who worked for him while he was minister of tourism and during his presidency.
Katsav was accused by four victims: two acts of rape and a sexual crime against "Aleph" from the ministry of tourism; sexual harassment of "Hey" from the president's office; sexual crime and harassment against "Lamed" from the president's office; harassing a witness and tampering with her trial. Three other women testified against Katsav as well.