Israeli court upholds ex-president's sex case deal

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's Supreme Court upheld a pleabargain on Tuesday under which former president Moshe Katsavwill avoid rape charges or jail time in exchange for admittinglesser sexual crimes against women employees.

Women's rights groups had appealed to the court to throwout the deal. The case has stirred powerful emotions in acountry where women complain that authorities do little tocombat sexual harassment at work.

Katsav, who portrayed himself in public as a victim of"incitement and persecution", resigned from the largelyceremonial post in June.

Attorney-General Menachem Mazuz had said he had evidence totry Katsav, 62, for raping a woman employee, but then opted notto charge him with the offence due to conflicting details inher account.

Instead, Katsav agreed under the deal to admit to havingcommitted indecent acts against another woman who worked forhim and to having sexually harassed another.

Under the arrangement with Mazuz, Katsav will not beimprisoned but will have to make a court appearance to enterhis guilty plea.

In its ruling, the Supreme Court said it saw no reason tointerfere with Mazuz's decision.

"It's a black day for the judicial system," said KinneretBarashi, a lawyer who represents one of the alleged victims inthe case.

Katsav's attorney, Zion Amir, told reporters the formerpresident, who has kept out of the public eye since hisresignation, had suffered enough.

"This is not a victory. This is a sad day," Amir said."After all, the former president went through a lot to reachthis point. From the start, I think the petitions wereunnecessary."

Katsav was succeeded as president by elder statesman ShimonPeres.

(Editing by Kevin Liffey)