A Budapest court on Wednesday found Maja T.*—a 25‑year‑old anti‑fascist activist from Jena, Thuringia—guilty of seriously injuring several people during attacks in February 2023. According to the indictment, the defendant was convicted of attempted grievous bodily harm and participation in a criminal organization. The ruling is not final and can still be appealed through Hungary’s courts.
Prosecutors had sought a 24‑year sentence, calling it necessary as a deterrent. The public prosecutor alleged that Maja T. belonged to a left‑wing extremist group of 19 members that attacked nine people, leaving some with broken bones and head injuries.
The case has attracted intense political and human‑rights scrutiny. In June 2024 Germany extradited Maja T. to Hungary; they were then held in solitary confinement and tried in Budapest. Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court later ruled that the trial should not have proceeded in Hungary, citing the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and concerns about exposure to inhumane treatment. The court said Hungarian authorities had not sufficiently ensured that detention conditions would be humane—an especially sensitive issue because Maja T. identifies as non‑binary.
Maja T. repeatedly complained about poor hygiene, inadequate food, extreme cell temperatures, and insufficient lighting and ventilation. They were held in isolation for long periods and in the summer of 2025 mounted a 40‑day hunger strike to protest conditions.
The case has become a flashpoint in broader tensions between Hungary and critics at home and abroad. Since 2021 Budapest has introduced several laws affecting LGBTQ+ people, and in early 2025 the government passed measures that can be used to restrict Pride events. Hungarian authorities also placed the German group dubbed “Antifa East,” of which Maja T. is accused of being a member, on a list of terror organizations in 2025—an action the government framed as mirroring moves elsewhere.
German politicians from the Social Democrats, Greens and Left called for Maja T.’s return and urged the federal government to press Hungary on due‑process and human‑rights grounds. Human rights campaigner and MEP Carola Rackete said Germany could not remain passive if democratic values and rights were at risk. After the verdict, Maja T.’s father described the trial as politically motivated and timed to bolster support for Prime Minister Viktor Órban ahead of national elections. Martin Schirdewan, co‑chair of the Left group in the European Parliament, called the sentence disproportionate. Members of the Hungarian government had publicly signaled they expected a harsh punishment.
Supporters staged protests calling for Maja T.’s release, including a demonstration outside Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul’s office. Ten days after the verdict, neo‑Nazis from across Europe are again expected to hold the so‑called “Day of Honor” rally in Budapest.
*Editor’s note: In line with the German press code, DW withholds full names in cases involving suspected criminals or victims to protect privacy.
This article was translated from German.