Trial against Gil Ofarim for false accusation
A good two years ago, the Jewish musician Gil Ofarim made serious accusations of anti-Semitism against an employee of a Leipzig hotel. The case made waves throughout Germany. The Leipzig public prosecutor's office did not believe the artist and brought charges against the 41-year-old.
The trial against the 41-year-old artist on charges including false accusations and defamation will begin at 9 a.m. at Leipzig District Court.
Description in viral video
Ofarim had described in a video that went viral on October 4, 2021 that an employee of a Leipzig hotel had asked him to remove his Star of David necklace so that he could check in. The musician later filed a complaint, but the hotel employee in question also defended himself and reported the musician for defamation.
The public prosecutor's office conducted an extensive investigation. It emerged that the alleged anti-Semitism incident in the hotel had not happened as the musician had described it in the video. The investigation against the hotel employee was dropped. The court has scheduled ten trial days until December 7.
A few days before the start of the trial, the musician stood by his accusations. "I know what happened to me. It wasn't about the employee, but about anti-Semitism," the 41-year-old told Welt am Sonntag. He was glad that a lot would now come out that had not been said or written before. He has confidence in the justice system.
"I didn't even begin to expect what this video would trigger. And I would do it again," Ofarim said in the newspaper interview. The presumption of innocence applies until the legal conclusion of the proceedings.
Ofarim's lawyer has security concerns
Ofarim's lawyer has expressed security concerns due to the heated situation in the Middle East. It is unclear whether those involved can safely enter and leave the court, said lawyer Alexander Stevens. In the meantime, the district court is examining whether the security measures on site need to be increased. They are in contact with the police. The spokesperson for the district court did not want to give any details when asked. In any case, every visitor to the district court is checked at the entrance.
The Leipzig District Court has scheduled ten trial days until December 7. The indictment will be read out at the start on Tuesday and Ofarim will have the opportunity to comment on the charges. His lawyer has not yet decided whether he will do so. The testimony of the hotel employee concerned is scheduled for the afternoon.
- Despite the investigation finding no evidence of anti-Semitism in the incident as described by Gil Ofarim, people continue to follow the trial closely due to its high-profile nature and the musician's staunch defense of his accusations.
- Amidst the ongoing trial, processes related to music have taken a backseat in Gil Ofarim's life, with his attorney expressing concerns about security due to global tensions, potentially impacting the court proceedings.
Source: www.dpa.com
