# Germany: Lawyers demand judge recusal in Ulm 5 trial after Israeli arms expert barred

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/germany-lawyers-demand-judge-recusal-in-ulm-5-trial-after-israeli-arms-expert-barred/
- Published: 2026-11-05T13:01:58+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-05T13:27:31+00:00
- Original publisher: Middle East Eye (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/lawyers-demand-judges-recusal-after-she-refuses-hear-expert-testimony-israeli-arms-company-ulm
- Topics: Europe, Middle East, World

## Key points

- German court rejects two defence experts in the Ulm Five trial.
- Lawyers seek the judge’s recusal, alleging bias.
- The defendants have been held in pre-trial detention for over a year.

## Summary

A German court has rejected defence applications to hear two expert witnesses in the trial of five activists accused of damaging an Israeli-owned arms factory in Ulm. Their lawyers say the evidence could explain the site’s role in Israel’s war in Gaza and have applied for Judge Kathrin Lauchstadt to recuse herself, alleging bias.

The defendants, known as the “Ulm Five”, were arrested on 8 September and have spent more than a year in pre-trial detention. The defence says they damaged the factory’s Tactical Data Links laboratory, which weapons expert Dr Shir Hever described as supporting military communications and target-sharing; the court concluded the proposed testimony was inadmissible, while saying it had not yet ruled on the team’s other evidence applications.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.