Imprisonment proves detrimental for Maja T in Budapest

In a troubling turn of events, Maja T., a 24-year-old non-binary German anti-fascist activist, has been held in pre-trial detention in Hungary since their extradition from Germany in June 2024. This extradition was later deemed unlawful by the German Federal Constitutional Court in April 2025, yet Maja remains detained in Budapest under harsh conditions.

The conditions Maja is facing have prompted a hunger strike, which began on June 5, 2025. These inhumane prison conditions include solitary confinement, 24-hour surveillance, denial of hormone therapy, and restricted communication. After about four weeks, Maja's health deteriorated severely due to significant weight loss (around twelve kilograms), fatigue, and reduced concentration ability. As a result, they were transferred to a prison hospital near the Romanian border in critical condition in late June/early July 2025.

Maja's father, Wolfram Jarosch, has been actively advocating for their release and better treatment. He has led public actions, including a march to Berlin, carrying 100,000 signatures demanding justice and calling attention to the political nature of Maja's imprisonment and the unlawful extradition. Solidarity protests and demonstrations have taken place in several German and Austrian cities, pressing German authorities to enforce the Constitutional Court's ruling and intervene.

Legally, Maja faces accusations related to organized attacks on far-right activists during Budapest's controversial "Day of Honour" in February 2023. If convicted, they could face up to 24 years in prison. Despite the German court ruling against the extradition, Hungarian authorities continue proceedings and detention, which supporters describe as "white torture" and politically motivated persecution.

Wolfram Jarosch is currently walking from Jena to Berlin, covering over 300 kilometers in just over a week, to campaign for Maja's trial in Germany. He recalls the day in December 2023 when police searched his home and informed him that Maja had been arrested. The extradition process took place in the middle of the night, with helicopters and a large number of police. Jarosch finds this timeline scandalous, suspecting it was coordinated to bypass the ruling of the Federal Constitutional Court.

As the temperature soars above 38 degrees, Jarosch, wearing a light hat with a wide brim and applying sunscreen, is making his way through the expansive Elbe meadows. He hopes for an appointment at the Federal Foreign Office upon his arrival in Berlin and has a petition with over 100,000 signatures demanding Maja's return to Germany.

Despite the challenges, other countries, such as Italy, have taken a resolute approach in dealing with co-defendants of Maja, including successfully achieving house arrest for an Italian activist. It remains unclear whether a meeting will take place with the Foreign Minister and Minister of Justice in the coming week.

Maja's supporters continue to press for their release and humane treatment. The fight for justice continues.

The deterioration of Maja's health during their hunger strike in late June/early July 2025, due to solitary confinement, 24-hour surveillance, denial of hormone therapy, and restricted communication, highlights the concern around mental-health issues in the context of health-and-wellness and lifestyle.
In the realm of policy-and-legislation and politics, Wolfram Jarosch's walk from Jena to Berlin, advocating for Maja's trial in Germany, signifies a push for justice and a call to enforce the German Federal Constitutional Court's ruling against their unlawful extradition.
The ongoing legal proceedings against Maja, facing accusations related to organized attacks and potentially facing up to 24 years in prison, underscores the importance of science and evidence in the administration of justice in general-news.
The resolute approach taken by Italy in achieving house arrest for an Italian activist co-defendant of Maja raises questions about the nature of Hungarian policy-and-legislation in home-and-garden matters, with some viewing Maja's detention as politically motivated persecution.