German Activist Sentenced in Hungary: A Controversial Verdict

Thu Feb 05 2026 07:32:24 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Maja T., a German activist, has been sentenced to eight years in prison by a Hungarian court over violent clashes with right-wing extremists. The case raises questions about fair trial standards and political motivations behind the sentencing.

Maja T., a 25-year-old German activist associated with extreme left-wing group Antifa Ost, has received an eight-year prison sentence in Hungary for participating in assaults against right-wing extremists during a Nazi rally. Critics of the trial have expressed concerns about potential bias and the fairness of judicial proceedings, particularly given Hungary's restrictive policies towards gender minorities. Maja T.'s extradition from Germany raised alarms over possible discriminatory treatment, adding a layer of complexity to the already fraught political atmosphere surrounding such cases in Europe.

German Activist Sentenced in Hungary: A Controversial Verdict

A German activist has been sentenced to eight years in a Hungarian prison for assaulting right-wing extremists and for being a member of an extreme left-wing group.

The 25-year-old, identified only as Maja T., was found guilty of involvement in violent assaults by the group Antifa Ost in the lead-up to an annual commemoration of Nazi soldiers in Budapest.

However, supporters have raised concerns over whether Maja T., who identifies as non-binary, could receive a fair trial in the Hungarian court due to the country's legal recognition of only two genders and its ban on Pride marches.

Last year, Germany's Constitutional Court found that Maja T. could face discriminatory treatment and stated that an extradition should not proceed. Unfortunately, this ruling came too late to prevent the handover, as Maja T. was already delivered to Hungarian authorities by helicopter in an overnight operation in 2024.

The 25-year-old did not comment on the allegations during the trial, and the verdict is subject to appeal.

Antifa Ost

In February 2023, far-right groups from across Europe gathered in Budapest to commemorate the anniversary of the end of the Second World War.

The so-called Day of Honour marked a historical attempt by the German Wehrmacht, the Waffen-SS, and their Hungarian collaborators to break through a Soviet siege of the city in 1945. This commemoration is tolerated by the Hungarian authorities.

Between February 9 and 11, about 20 alleged left-wing extremists from Antifa Ost, also known as the hammer gang, attacked individuals they believed were participating in the commemoration, using batons, rubber hammers, and pepper spray. Nine people were injured, four of them seriously.

Prosecutors claimed that Maja T. was involved in two attacks and part of a criminal organization.

German MEP Martin Schirdewan from the socialist Die Linke party described the proceedings as a political show trial, saying Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán had deliberately exploited this trial for his election campaign. He labeled the eight-year sentence as disproportionate, asserting that it was more about setting a political example than delivering justice.

Trials of other Antifa Ost members are currently ongoing in German courts, focusing on the violence in Budapest and other incidents in Germany. Hungary classifies Antifa Ost as a terrorist group, similar to the designation made by the US last November, which restricts members' ability to enter the country and penalizes support for the group.

The case remains politically charged as the German far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) has called for Antifa Ost to be banned domestically, further clouding the intricacies of political justice and rights for individuals involved.