Israel former PM Ehud Olmert given prison sentence

Baku. 25 May. REPORT.AZ/ Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has been sentenced to eight months in prison for fraud and breach of trust, Report informs citing foreign media.

He was convicted at a retrial in March of taking more than $150,000 (£96,000) from a US businessman. His lawyers have said they will appeal.

The sentence is in addition to a six-year jail term he received last year, after a separate bribery trial.

Olmert served as Israeli PM from 2006 to 2009.

He was forced to resign amid corruption allegations, which ended his political career.

His departure disrupted the Israeli peace process with the Palestinians and cleared the way for the election of Benjamin Netanyahu, seen as more hardline on the peace issue.

Olmert has always claimed he is innocent and has described the allegations against him as "a brutal, ruthless witch-hunt".