Angel Martinez/Getty Images(JERUSALEM) — For the first time in Israel’s history, a former prime minister was put behind bars Monday morning.
Flanked by security guards, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert entered the Massiyahu prison, where he will begin serving a 19-month sentence for bribery convictions in a real estate deal during his time as mayor of Jerusalem.
He could also face up to eight months more, depending on how a ruling in another corruption case goes.
Before entering the prison Monday, Olmert insisted he is innocent in a video statement released to the public. He said he accepted the verdict with a heavy heart.
During his time at Massiyahu, Olmert will stay at what’s considered to be the VIP wing of the prison but he will not have access to a cellphone, computer or private bathroom.
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