Persecution of anti-fascists | Persecuted Antifa: Fair proceedings are rare, even in Germany

Maja T. on September 30th in front of the Budapest regional court. On that day, in the appeal process, it reduced the prison sentence imposed on the German anti-fascist by only one year. Photo: IMAGO/Daniel Alfoldi There is no question: Maja T.'s prison conditions are terrible, the sentence against the anti-fascist is excessively harsh, and the circumstantial evidence trial is a farce. There is also no question: the situation of Zaid A. from Nuremberg, who, as the child of Syrian refugees, does not have German citizenship, is particularly complicated. It's good and right that supporters are demanding that the French authorities not extradite him to Hungary and that they are calling on the federal government to allow Maja T. to at least serve the rest of her prison sentence in Germany instead of in what is effectively maintained isolation in Budapest.

But the focus on these people cannot hide the fact that the judiciary in Germany does not act fairly and proportionately against those accused in the so-called Budapest complex. They are young people who have allegedly beaten up others. That doesn't make sense, even if the attacks were against neo-Nazis. But as a result, they were not wanted and charged with bodily harm or serious bodily harm, and beyond the trial dates they are also not allowed to live in their hometowns, with their parents.

Instead, major trials are being conducted in both Düsseldorf and Dresden, in which the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office acts as the prosecutor. They are also accused of forming a criminal organization and sometimes even attempted murder. Such productions bring them close to dangerous terrorists. The 22- to 24-year-old defendants in Düsseldorf are currently in custody, although they voluntarily turned themselves in to the German authorities at the beginning of 2025. As the case of Hanna S. in Munich shows, they face long prison sentences.

These reprisals as well as the martial trials under enormous security precautions, together with prejudicial statements from politicians, act like a spectacle to brand “left-wing extremism” as a major threat to the entire society. The particularly absurd extent of the harassment against the “Ulm 5”, five young people who committed an act of sabotage against the Israeli arms company Elbit Systems in order to protest against the fact that it is making profits from the mass murder of civilians, also fits into this picture. They were arrested at the scene; there was no danger to anyone at any time.

In view of this, a much broader solidarity movement for persecuted leftists is needed. One that focuses on the German judiciary just as much as the Hungarian one. And one that repeatedly mentions not just a few names, but many, provides individual support to all those affected and denounces repressive structures beyond the “Budapest complex”. International networking is generally important.

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