Activist Maja T. Sentenced in Hungary Amid Controversy Over Fair Trial

Sat Feb 07 2026 03:24:05 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A German activist known as Maja T. faces eight years in prison in Hungary for violent protests against right-wing extremists, sparking debates about legal fairness in a politically charged environment.

Maja T., a 25-year-old German activist affiliated with the far-left group Antifa Ost, has been sentenced to eight years in prison for attacking right-wing extremists during a controversial rally in Budapest. Concerns are mounting about the fairness of her trial given Hungary's legal recognition of only two genders, complicating her non-binary identity. The ruling has drawn criticism as a potential political maneuver by Hungarian officials, particularly as similar cases are concurrently unfolding in Germany.

Activist Maja T. Sentenced in Hungary Amid Controversy Over Fair Trial

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, because the country legally recognizes only two genders and Pride marches are banned.

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

But 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.

Maja T. did not comment on the allegations during the trial, and the verdict is subject to appeal.

Background on 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 attacked people with batons, rubber hammers, and pepper spray at several places in Budapest. Officials stated the attackers believed their victims had participated in the commemoration.

Nine people were injured in a number of incidents, four of them seriously. Prosecutors confirmed 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 and criticized Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán for exploiting the trial for his election campaign.

As the political landscape shifts, trials of other members of Antifa Ost continue in German courts, focusing on the violence incidents in Budapest and elsewhere.