The Leipzig court continues the trial of Gil Ofarim, who's facing defamation and false accusation charges. Two years ago, he accused the Westin Hotel of anti-Semitism on social media, but no evidence supported his claims.
On day four, the digital forensic examination of the evening's video recordings took center stage. The system's first witness, a technician, found no evidence of video manipulation, addressing the question of Gil's Star of David visibility. However, internal hotel investigations purportedly showed these videos to potential witnesses prior to the police investigation.
Not looking promising for Gil, a technician testified that manipulation was unlikely in the contested videos, which, unlike his claims, showed him talking on the phone and sitting outside the hotel. The technician was unable to make comments on video alterations during the internal investigations.
Questions surrounding judicial bias surfaced following his lawyer's unexpected recusal motion. The judge had given a lecture on extremism, and the defense argued this influenced his impartiality. The trial continued after a short delay.
The shuttle driver, Gil's travel companion, provided her perspective. She vouched for his sobriety, recalling a brown leather chain around his neck, which didn't resemble the Star of David chain he claimed to have worn. The driver also mentioned Gil's flirtatious behavior, which brought up conversations about his children and ex-wife.
Expert analysis revealed details from the recordings. Even though Gil's attire generally matched witness statements, his pendant's identity as a Star of David remained unclear. The expert spoke of a reflective object in the chest area however, adding that they couldn't specify its object.
The Leipzig trial's focus on video analysis and physical evidence lacked compelling proof or disproof of a Star of David pendant. The digital forensic expert concluded that the chain was there but could not confirm its reflective Star of David identity.
