Israeli President Moshe Katsav is to step down in order to address impending charges of rape, sexual harassment, obstruction of justice and breach of trust, his attorney David Libai said Tuesday in Tel Aviv. Katsav, whose seven-year presidency officially ends this August, would enjoy full immunity from prosecution while in office. Under Israeli law, a sitting president cannot be put on trial until he leaves office, whether through resignation, impeachment by parliament or simply the conclusion of his term. "The president is convinced that he is a victim of false allegations and attempts to remove him from his office, and he will fight to prove his innocence," one of his lawyers, David Libai, told reporters in Tel Aviv. "I assume that this is probably his last night in the presidency," said Libai.
Commenting on Katsav's promise to leave office should the country's attorney general Menahem Mazuz recommend Katsav's indictment, Libai said, "I have no doubt that he will keep his word. But this lies in his hands."