Hungary jails German activist for eight years over far-right rally attacks

"A Hungarian court has jailed a German anti-fascist activist for eight years for attacking participants at a far-right rally in Budapest. Maja T, 25, was sentenced on Wednesday after being convicted of involvement in violence ahead of the annual Day of Honour commemoration in Budapest. The event is one of the biggest neo-Nazi rallies in Europe. The defendant was accused of attempted aggravated bodily harm causing life-threatening injuries and assault committed as part of a criminal organisation."

"We all know what verdict the prime minister of this country wants, Maja T told the court before the guilty verdict was given. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has previously designated anti-fascist groups linked to the attacks as terrorist organisations. Orban's spokesman, Zoltan Kovacs, welcomed the sentence in a message on X, branding Maja T an antifa terrorist a reference to the left-wing protest movement."

"Maja T was extradited from Germany to Hungary in December 2024. Supporters of the activist have criticised detention conditions, as well as the chances for a fair trial in Hungary. Last year, Germany's Constitutional Court ruled that the extradition was unlawful because it could not be guaranteed that the defendant would not be subject to inhumane or degrading treatment in Hungarian custody. Maja T's father, Wolfram Jarosch, said the sentence confirmed his fears before the hearing."

Maja T, a 25-year-old German anti-fascist activist, received an eight-year prison sentence in Hungary after conviction for violent actions linked to the annual Day of Honour commemoration in Budapest. Prosecutors accused her of attempted aggravated bodily harm causing life-threatening injuries and assault as part of a criminal organisation, and said she was among 19 members of a multinational far-left group that attacked nine people, including German and Polish citizens. The victims sustained broken bones and head injuries. Maja T was extradited from Germany in December 2024 despite a German court ruling that the extradition risked inhumane treatment. Supporters criticised detention conditions and trial fairness.

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