Maakav
While Dim Amor was giving his testimony in court, Attorney Ophir rose in anger and fury, erupting violently during the proceedings. Ophir claimed that Amor's testimony was nothing but a "fable", contradicting the true testimony given by the journalist.
Surprisingly, Attorney Ophir filed a motion for a gag order on the testimony, raising questions about his claim that it was merely a "fable". Judge Anat Yahav granted the request and issued a gag order on the details of the testimony.
This incident raises concerns about the inappropriate behavior of Attorney Ophir, who allegedly violated professional ethics rules by humiliating journalist Dim Amor during the hearing. The incident illustrates the importance of proper conduct by lawyers in the legal arena and the need to protect freedom of the press and journalists' right to testify freely.
Lawyers' attempts to silence raise serious concerns about the concealment of important information and reinforce the perception that there is something to hide. Freedom of the press is one of the pillars of democracy, and Amor should be allowed to work transparently and expose the truth to the public.
Attorney Ophir, representing Semion Grafman, leveled serious accusations against Amor, claiming that he is lying and being manipulated by hostile elements.
During the hearing, Ophir did not spare harsh criticism towards Amor. "We have a witness here with a very problematic worldview", he said. "People are manipulating him, this man (referring to Amor) drips over the whole world, they're using every platform to defame".
Attorney Ophir even accused Amor of lying, stating: "There are things here telling me that yesterday was Saturday when it wasn't Saturday". Judge Anat Yahav asked Ophir to stop the humiliations towards Dim Amor, but this did not halt the rhetorical attack.
According to Ophir, the "Maakav" website is a "defamation site Ltd", and Amor receives payment from Mishel Taroni to write articles against his client, Grafman. Attorney Ahav Cohen claimed that Ophir violated ethical rules during the hearing.
In the court hearing, Judge Anat Yahav stopped Attorney Guy Ophir and asked him to present evidence for his claims
Ophir alleged that the "Maakav" reporter receives money from Mishel Taroni to write against Semion Grafman but failed to provide proof. The judge emphasized that providing unsubstantiated information is unprofessional and could humiliate the reporter. Yahav instructed Ophir to refrain from unsubstantiated accusations and focus on facts. Attorney Ophir did not respond to the criticism and did not provide additional evidence. The trial continues under great tension between the parties.
Despite the order imposed yesterday, Grafman himself shared details of the hearing with his friends and apparently violated the judicial order. This move, which came after Dim Amor revealed that details of the hearing had leaked to foreign entities, only adds to the questions about the desire to silence Amor specifically and put pressure on him.
Mr. Amor is the key witness in the case against Grafman, and after his testimony, he appealed to the court requesting protection from pressures.
According to the sensational request submitted to the court, Dim Amor feels "real fear" about testifying against Grafman due to concerns about possible harm and revenge by the defendant and his circles.
Amor claims that Grafman crossed the line and exposed details of the case to external parties.
"The witness feels genuine fear of revenge and harassment if he testifies truthfully. The fact that the complainant managed to harm the witness's professional connections demonstrates that the witness is not safe from him," the request stated.
Amor fears that giving truthful testimony will lead to retaliatory responses from Grafman, who can reach him through his many connections.
The request demands that the court issue an order preventing Grafman and his environment from pressuring the witness, threatening him, or harassing him in any way. "Unless protection is given, the witness will not feel safe to testify," it was argued.
This unusual development poses a significant challenge to the management of the case in court, with the key witness fearing to testify. The court is expected to address this exceptional issue in the coming days.
"The public must know who Semion Grafman really is. In fact, Mr. Guy Lerer, who provided a platform for Grafman, is slightly running away from responsibility. Yesterday, I underwent humiliation and severe harm in court, I never thought a lawyer in Israel could be so verbally violent and lie in court. Grafman continues to put pressure on me, and the truth is I'm quite afraid to testify in court now. At the moment, witnesses have no protection", Dim Amor stated.
