Isidoros’s Historic Testimony in Court

“Should we say it on camera?”

After the Chief Secretary of the Patriarchate concluded his testimony, the court agreed to screen the video with the historical testimony of the sacristan (skeuophylax) of the Holy Sepulchre, Archbishop Isidoros (it also agreed to screen the video with the testimony of the late Metropolitan Cornelius and that of Aristarchos, who admits that he knew I was writing a book).

I had been waiting for this moment for five years. I knew that this would be the most decisive evidence that would lead to my acquittal. As soon as the presiding judge pressed play on the player and I heard Isidore’s voice, I understood that everything was over then. It was the most emotionally charged moment of the entire trial for me. My eyes welled up as I listened to the video with the historical testimony of the venerable Skeuophylax Isidore.

When the video reached the point where Isidoros asks me “should we say it on camera?”, the presiding judge turned to the judge on her right and whispered “camera“. No one heard her voice. No one heard her voice, but those nearby read her lips.

Aristarchos also watched the video. It struck me that he watched it very carefully, as if he was seeing it for the first time. “Is that possible?” I wondered to myself, as he watched Isidore’s testimony.

Shortly before the presiding judge announced the adjournment of the trial, due to time constraints, the complainants’ lawyers requested to be given the original video as it came out of my camera, obviously to examine it.

I replied that I had no objection. The following day, I sent them the video with this accompanying message: “Mr. Apostolidis and Mr. Askites, As promised, I am sending you the full video of Archbishop Isidoros’s interview, which lasts 43 minutes and 47 seconds. This is the same video that my lawyer, Mr. Anagnostopoulos, submitted as part of our written submissions in the civil proceedings. As you will see by comparing it with the publicly available 25-minute version shown in court, excerpts from the interview that might have harmed your client’s image were omitted.
Sincerely”

Mr. Askites, Aristarchos’s lawyer, replied to me: “Good evening and thank you very much. Could you also send us the other two that were shown in court so we don’t have to request them from the secretariat?
Thank you in advance.”

Half an hour later, I also sent the other two videos.

Continuation of the trial on 2024-03-29. After 9 days.