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.

A justice ministry statement announced the refusal, saying the parole board found "he expressed no regret and no sympathy toward the victims of his crimes."

Katsav has always maintained his innocence despite being convicted in December 2010 on two counts of rape, sexual harassment, indecent acts and obstruction of justice.

Source: AFP