German Activist Sentenced to Eight Years in Hungary for Violent Protests

Thu Feb 05 2026 01:37:06 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Maja T., a 25-year-old German activist, has been sentenced to eight years in a Hungarian prison for assaulting right-wing extremists during attacks leading to a Nazi memorial.

Maja T., identified as a member of the Antifa Ost group, was found guilty of violent assaults on individuals believed to be part of a neo-Nazi commemoration in Budapest. The trial raises concerns over the fairness of the legal proceedings for non-binary individuals in Hungary. Supporters argue that the sentencing is politically motivated and disproportionate.

German Activist Sentenced to Eight Years in Hungary for Violent Protests

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.

Supporters have raised concerns over whether Maja T., who identifies as non-binary, could receive a fair trial in the Hungarian court, as the country legally recognizes only two genders and Pride marches are banned.

Last year, Germany's Constitutional Court found Maja T. could face discriminatory treatment and said an extradition should not proceed.

However, the ruling came too late to stop the handover, as police in Germany had already delivered Maja T. 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 an attempt in 1945 by the German Wehrmacht, the Waffen-SS, and their Hungarian collaborators to break through a Soviet siege of the city.

The commemoration is tolerated by the Hungarian authorities. Between 9 and 11 February 2023, about 20 alleged left-wing extremists from Antifa Ost, a militant far-left multinational group also known as the hammer gang, attacked people with batons, rubber hammers, and pepper spray at several locations in Budapest.

Officials reported that the attackers believed their victims were participating in the commemoration, resulting in nine injuries, four of which were serious. Prosecutors stated Maja T. was involved in two attacks and was part of a criminal organization.

German MEP Martin Schirdewan from the socialist Die Linke party described the proceedings as a political show trial, claiming that Prime Minister Viktor Orbán exploited the trial for his election campaign, stating that the sentence is disproportionate.

Meanwhile, trials of other members of Antifa Ost are currently underway in German courts in Düsseldorf and Dresden, focusing on the violence in Budapest and other incidents in Germany.

Hungary classifies Antifa Ost as a terrorist group, alongside the US, which designated them last November as part of the Trump administration's crackdown on Antifa activists. This designation makes group members ineligible for entry into the US and criminalizes providing support to the group.