Hungarian Court Upholds Prison Sentence for German Anti-Fascist Activist

BUDAPEST, Hungary — A Hungarian appeals court on Wednesday reduced the prison sentence of a German anti-fascist activist to seven years from eight for participating in assaults against individuals at a far-right rally in Budapest in February 2023. The court's decision marks the final ruling in the case.

The activist, identified by Hungarian authorities only as Maja T., had her initial eight-year sentence issued in February appealed by both the prosecution, which sought 14 years, and the defense, which argued for acquittal.

According to authorities, Maja T. was among more than a dozen activists who attacked participants at the "Day of Honor" rally, an annual event described as one of Europe's largest neo-Nazi gatherings. Prosecutors stated that Maja T. and others intended to confront supporters of the extremist right and assault targeted individuals with weapons capable of causing death.

During the sentencing, the judge cited Maja T.'s role as an accomplice rather than a primary perpetrator on one charge and found insufficient grounds to classify her as a member of a criminal organization, leading to the reduced sentence.

Maja T. was extradited to Hungary from Germany in December 2024. Her father, Wolfram Jarosch, expressed disappointment with the verdict, stating that seven years is an "extremely long time," despite the reduction from the lower court's decision. He also alleged that his daughter experienced "very undignified detention," including solitary confinement, which he claims violates European human rights standards, assertions denied by Hungarian authorities.

Concerns have been raised by supporters of Maja T. regarding the fairness of her trial in Hungary. In the preceding year, Hungary's former right-wing populist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán designated antifa, a decentralized anti-fascist movement, as a terrorist organization.

Jarosch acknowledged the violence that occurred but emphasized the importance of anti-fascist actions against authoritarian and fascist tendencies, drawing a parallel to the far-right Alternative for Germany party.

The case draws parallels to that of Italian anti-fascist activist Ilaria Salis, who faced charges related to the same 2023 assaults. Salis was imprisoned in Hungary for over a year, leading to diplomatic tensions between Italy and Hungary. She was later moved to house arrest and subsequently released after winning a seat in the European Parliament, which granted her legal immunity. Hungarian prosecutors have sought an 11-year sentence for Salis, but her immunity was not suspended by the European Parliament.