President Reuven Rivlin
President Reuven RivlinFlash 90

President Reuven Rivlin is considering granting clemency to former President Moshe Katzav, who is currently serving out a seven-year jail term for two counts of rape.

According to a report in Yediot Aharonot, Rivlin may free the disgraced ex-president due to what has been described as a serious decline in the mental health of the former leader.

Associates of Katzav claim that he has suffered a serious decline in mental health following a decision by the state parole board to deny him an early release. Katzav had requested that his sentence be reduced by one third, claiming good behavior during his time behind bars.

Relatives have said that Katzav is in a deep depression and has become increasingly distrustful of people generally and the justice system in particular.

Both Katzav’s wife, Gila, and lawyer, Tzion Amir, have entered formal clemency requests for the former president.