Verdict follows extended show-trial under deplorable arrest conditions

~ Josefine Peters ~

German antifascist Maja T, alongside co-defendants Anna M and Gabriele M, were convicted in Budapest Wednesday (4 January) of involvement in attacks against neo-Nazi participants at the Day of Honour rally in February 2023. Maja now faces 8 years of imprisonment, following a long legal battle marked by illegal extradition to Hungary, detention in isolation, and a 40-day hunger strike to protest inhumane holding conditions.

Maja was convicted of attempted bodily harm, with a “criminal organisation” enhancement. Gabriella M, an Italian citizen, received a seven-year prison sentence for similar counts. Anna M, also from Germany, was sentenced to two years in prison for participating in a criminal organisation.

Appeals against the verdict have been submitted by the defense, as well as the Hungarian public prosecution. Until the appeal process is finished Maja will have to remain in Hungary, with the Judge dismissing requests for house arrest or less strict detention until then.

Although promises were made to return Maja T. to Germany to carry out their sentence, supporters are worried these will not be fulfilled. In an interview published Thursday, Maja T.’s father states that “just like the extradition, the return is a political question”.

The case saw cooperation between the Orbán’s Hungary and the German police and legal system, which allowed the illegal extradition to Hungary in June 2024. This was despite human rights concerns about the treatment of non-binary people in Hungary, a state no longer regarded as democratic by the European Union.

Prompting Trump’s executive order declaring antifacist groups to be terrorist organisations, the trial used murky legal terms to prosecute the defendants for membership of a criminal organisation. Maja’s father noted in the interview that Hungarian law would require such an organisation to be hierarchical and have a permanent existence.

Support for Maja and the other imprisoned activists has continued throughout the proceedings, with supporters demanding freedom for all antifacists and Maja’s immediate return to Germany.

Meanwhile, Germany is now requesting the extradition of antifascist Gino (Rexhino Abazaj), despite a first refusal by France to extradite him to Hungary following his arrest in November by French anti-terrorist police.