Yoram Sheftal, the infamous defense attorney who saved Nazi war criminal John Demjanjuk from the death penalty, has a new client: former Israeli President Moshe Katsav. The family of Katsav, who is currently in prison for two counts of rape and a number of additional sexual offenses, made the decision to enlist Sheftal. Katsav's brother, Lior, announced the decision on Channel 2's "Meet the Press" on Saturday evening. Sheftal is a criminal specialist who gained international fame when he represented Demjanjuk in 1993. His defense saved Demjanjuk, accused of being the infamous "Ivan the Terrible" of the Sobibor death camp in Poland, from facing execution in Israel. Sheftal will soon submit a petition to the Supreme Court to request an additional discussion on the matter of Katsav's case. Katsav entered prison on Dec. 7, 2011 after a five-year court battle, including a number of appeals, over the various accusations against him. On Saturday night, Lior Katsav said that the family decided to submit an additional plea for discussion despite the fact that the former president has asked them to give up due to mounting legal fees. According to Lior, his brother has not asked for any special treatment in prison, although the family asked that he not have to wear the orange prison uniform, required during family visits, because it humiliates his family. According to Lior, there are precedents for the family's request that Moshe not wear the uniform. He also said that his brother is sharing a cell with Rabbi Shlomo Benizri, former Health, Labor and Social Welfare Minister, who was convicted of accepting bribes, breach of trust, conspiring to commit a crime and obstruction of justice. His brother, he said, "enjoys respect and appreciation from his fellow prisoners." When asked about telephone conversations with family and friends, Lior said they "are short. Every conversation starts and ends with tears." On Nov. 10, 2011, the Supreme Court rejected Moshe's latest appeal and upheld both his conviction and his punishment and ordered him to prison to begin his seven-year term. Legal experts warn that any new appeal has a very low likelihood of success. Retired Tel Aviv District Court Judge Nissim Yeshaya has spoken to Israel Hayom previously about the issue, saying, "Katsav's odds are close to zero" because the decision has been made and there are no new legal precedents to explore. Avigdor Feldman, one of the leaders of Katsav's defense team, said recently at a conference at Bar-Ilan University that Katsav and his legal staff are against any further appeals. Feldman also said that the former president had not listened to his legal council, and that he disapproved of Katsav's behavior to the media. "I have a client who does not listen," Feldman said at the time. He said that he pleaded persistently with Katsav to focus on the facts of his case, rather than the perceived trial by the media.
Demjanjuk defense attorney joins the Katsav appeal team
Former President Moshe Katsav's family recruit Yoram Sheftal, the same lawyer who saved Nazi war criminal John Demanjujuk from the death penalty, to appeal his prison sentence.
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