❓WHAT HAPPENED: A transgender Antifa radical was sentenced to eight years in prison in Hungary for a series of violent far-left attacks in Budapest.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The German activist, known as “Maja T.,” and other members of the “Hammer Gang” Antifa cell.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The attacks occurred in Budapest in February 2023; sentencing was this week at the Budapest Municipal Court.
🎯IMPACT: The case has sparked political backlash in Europe, with some accusing Hungary of political persecution while others highlight the violent nature of the crimes.
A Hungarian court has handed an eight-year prison sentence to “Maja T.,” a German national linked to a series of far-left assaults carried out in Budapest in February 2023. The attacks were attributed to a radical Antifa cell known as the “Hammer Gang,” which allegedly targeted people it accused of being “neo-Nazis.”
Prosecutors said the group ambushed victims in the street, striking them on the head with clubs and continuing to beat them after they fell. Several victims reportedly suffered skull fractures and other life-threatening injuries. Authorities said those attacked were selected based on suspicion of right-wing views, regardless of whether they were actually involved in any extremist activity.
The convict, who claims to be “non-binary,” was found guilty of life-threatening assault and membership in a criminal organization by the Budapest Municipal Court. The ruling is provisional and may be appealed.
Maja claimed the case was politically driven and aimed at satisfying Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, whose government has classified Antifa as a terrorist organization. “Of course, I see the Hungarian government’s efforts to influence the independence of the court,” Maja complained following the verdict.
Another alleged member of the Hammer Gang, Italian activist Ilaria Salis, was previously held under house arrest in Hungary, but later secured release after being elected to the European Parliament, gaining parliamentary immunity.
Antifa has been linked by authorities in multiple countries to acts of political violence. In recent years, governments and law enforcement agencies have cited Antifa-associated groups in connection with assaults, arson attacks, and major infrastructure sabotage.
Last year, President Trump declared several European Antifa groups as foreign terrorist organisations.
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