The Hungarian appeals court reduced the sentence for German anti-fascist activist Maja T. from eight to seven years for involvement in violent attacks at a February 2023 far-right rally in Budapest. The prosecution had sought 14 years while the defense sought acquittal; the judge reclassified one count to accomplice status and removed a criminal-organization finding. Maja T. was extradited from Germany in December 2024 despite concerns raised by Germany's Constitutional Court about the safety of her detention. Her family alleges harsh treatment in custody, which Hungarian authorities deny, and the case has fueled debate about fair trials and political tensions over anti-fascist activism in Hungary.
Hungarian Appeals Court Cuts Sentence to Seven Years for German Anti-Fascist in 2023 Budapest Rally Assaults
Maja T., a German anti-fascist activist accused of assaulting and injuring neo-Nazis in Budapest in Feb. 2023, arrives for a sentence appeal trial session at the Budapest-Capital Regional Court, in Budapest, Hungary, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Pavel Bogolepov)(AP Photo/Pavel Bogolepov)
A Hungarian appeals court on Wednesday reduced the prison term for a German anti-fascist activist, identified by Hungarian authorities as Maja T., from eight years to seven for taking part in assaults on attendees of a far-right rally in Budapest in February 2023.
Maja T., a German anti-fascist activist accused of assaulting and injuring neo-Nazis in Budapest in Feb. 2023, attends a sentence appeal trial session at the Budapest-Capital Regional Court, in Budapest, Hungary, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Pavel Bogolepov)(AP Photo/Pavel Bogolepov)
The defendant received the revised, final sentence after both prosecution and defense appealed a lower court ruling from February that had imposed an eight-year term. Prosecutors had sought a 14-year sentence while the defense pushed for acquittal.
Wolfram Jarosch, the father of Maja T., a German anti-fascist activist accused of assaulting and injuring neo-Nazis in Budapest in Feb. 2023, attends the defendant’s sentence appeal at the Budapest-Capital Regional Court, in Budapest, Hungary, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Pavel Bogolepov)(AP Photo/Pavel Bogolepov)
Charges and Court Ruling
Authorities say Maja T. was one of more than a dozen activists who attacked participants at the annual event known as the "Day of Honor," described by observers as one of Europe's largest neo-Nazi gatherings. Prosecutors told the court that the group "planned to pursue their ideological struggle against supporters of the extremist right" and intended to "assault selected victims with various instruments capable of causing death."
Maja T., a German anti-fascist activist accused of assaulting and injuring neo-Nazis in Budapest in Feb. 2023, attends a sentence appeal trial session at the Budapest-Capital Regional Court, in Budapest, Hungary, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Pavel Bogolepov)(AP Photo/Pavel Bogolepov)
On appeal, the judge reclassified one charge so that Maja T. was treated as an accomplice rather than a principal perpetrator and removed a count that had treated her as a member of a criminal organisation. Those changes led to the one-year reduction in the sentence.
Maja T., a German anti-fascist activist accused of assaulting and injuring neo-Nazis in Budapest in Feb. 2023, attends a sentence appeal trial session at the Budapest-Capital Regional Court, in Budapest, Hungary, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Pavel Bogolepov)(AP Photo/Pavel Bogolepov)
Extradition, Detention and Fair Trial Concerns
Maja T. was arrested in Berlin and extradited to Hungary in December 2024. Germany's Constitutional Court had previously ruled that the extradition was unlawful because it could not guarantee the defendant would not face inhumane or degrading treatment in Hungarian custody.
Her father, Wolfram Jarosch, told The Associated Press that Maja T. was held in "very undignified detention," including periods of solitary confinement that he said did not comply with European human rights standards. Hungarian authorities and the Hungarian Prison Service have denied these allegations.
Supporters gathered outside the central Budapest courthouse on the day of the hearing, waving banners and calling for her release; Maja T. reportedly smiled at supporters when she entered the courtroom. Some backers have questioned whether she could obtain a fair trial in Hungary amid political developments, including the designation of "antifa" as a terrorist organization last year by the government of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
Wider Context
Antifa is a loose umbrella term for far-left activists and groups that oppose fascism and neo-Nazism; it functions largely as an ideological current rather than a structured organisation, though some adherents have embraced militant tactics.
Another accused participant, Italian anti-fascist Ilaria Salis, was detained in Hungary for more than a year after the 2023 attacks, prompting a diplomatic dispute with Rome. Salis was moved to house arrest in May 2024 and released in June 2024 after winning a seat in the European Parliament, which granted her legal immunity. Hungarian prosecutors have sought an 11-year sentence for Salis.
"Seven years is an extremely long time," Wolfram Jarosch told The Associated Press, adding that while he condemns the violence, he considers anti-fascist engagement necessary in the face of rising far-right politics.
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