Former Israeli prime minster released from prison

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was released from prison on Sunday morning after serving time for corruption.

Last week, a parole board granted Olmert, 71, early release from his 27-month sentence. He was convicted in 2014 on charges of accepting bribes to promote a real-estate project in Jerusalem and obstructing justice. The charges pertained to a period when he was mayor of Jerusalem and trade minister before he became prime minister in 2006.

Olmert is the first former prime minister of Israel to be jailed. He was a long-time fixture in Israel’s hawkish right wing when he began taking a dramatically more conciliatory line toward the Palestinians.

(CGTN & REUTERS)