OTHER EUROPEAN GOVERNMENTS HAVE REFUSED TO HONOUR EXTRADITION REQUESTS FROM HUNGARY FOR ANTIFASCIST ACTIVISTS, CITING CONCERNS FOR THEIR SAFETY AND WELLBEING ~ punkacademic ~ Antifascist Maja T today began a hunger strike protesting their treatment by Hungarian judicial authorities since their extradition from Germany last year. Whilst in custody in Hungary, Maja, who identifies as non-binary, has been subjected to inhumane conditions, including several months of constant video surveillance, persistent solitary confinement, and ‘intimate searches’ during which they have been forced to undress. Visits have been sporadic, food has been inadequate, and their cell is plagued with bedbugs and cockroaches. Maja has been in pretrial detention in Hungary since June 2024. In a statement released by the Budapest Antifascist Solidarity Committee they stated they are “no longer prepared to endure this intolerable situation and wait for a decisions from a justice system that has systematically violated my rights over last few months”. Maja was due to receive a judicial ruling on Wednesday (4th June) as to whether their pretrial detention would be converted to house arrest, only for the hearing to be postponed until the 20th, triggering the decision to go on hunger strike. Maja’s extradition was based on a European Arrest Warrant issued by Hungarian authorities for an alleged attack on neo-Nazis at the far-right ‘Day of Honour’ commemoration in Budapest in 2023. The event is an annual commemoration of an attempt by members of the Waffen-SS and Hungarian collaborators to break a Red Army siege towards the conclusion of the Second World War. Maja was extradited despite the intervention of the German Federal Constitutional Court, which had concerns with regard to Maja’s potential treatment. The extradition was initially ruled on by the Berlin regional court, with the German authorities expediting Maja’s transfer before the Federal Constitutional Court was able to rule on an injunction. In January, Maja was offered a plea deal carrying a fourteen year jail sentence. As it stands, they face up to twenty-four years in prison. Maja’s arrest, extradition, and current plight exist in a context of a clampdown on antifascist action in Germany, particularly in the East. Maja was pursued by the SoKo LinX taskforce of the Saxon Criminal Police, and transferred in the middle of the night despite a pending injunction, with the attendance of riot police and counter-terrorism officers despite (as the Saxon authorities later admitted) no credible threat. Other European governments have refused to honour extradition requests from Hungary for antifascist activists, citing concerns for their safety and wellbeing. Hungary’s persecution of the LGBTQ+ community was today condemned by a senior legal scholar at the European Court of Justice. Hungary in 2022 was downgraded by the EU Parliament from a democracy to an authoritarian state, but continues to have access to the European Arrest Warrant system. These wider concerns are echoed by Maja, who in their declaration concluded that “no more people should be extradited to Hungary”. A further activist, Zaid from Nuremberg, remains under threat of extradition. The post Antifascist Maja T. on hunger strike to protest “inhumane” prison conditions appeared first on Freedom News.

THE DEFENCE CITED GRIM REPORTS OF “WHITE TORTURE” IN HUNGARIAN PRISONS, INCLUDING PERMANENT SOLITARY CONFINEMENT AND 24-HOUR SURVEILLANCE ~ Alisa-Ece Tohumcu ~ After five months in Fresnes Prison, Rexhino “Gino” Abazaj, a 32-year-old Albanian anti-fascist activist, was released under judicial supervision yesterday (26 March). Arrested in Montreuil in November 2024, he faces up to 24 years in prison if extradited to Hungary for alleged violence against neo-Nazis. His case, which has sparked a widespread mobilisation from activists, unions, and politicians, will be decided by the Paris Court of Appeal on April 9. Gino’s arrest stems from his alleged involvement in clashes during the far right “Day of Honour” gathering in Budapest in 2023. Seventeen other anti-fascists have been arrested in the case, including Italian MEP Ilaria Salis who spent 15 months in pre-trial detention, and Maja T who was extradited to Hungary last year. In January, seven anti-fascists wanted in the case turned themselves in. During yesterday’s hearing, prosecutors questioned the feasibility of house arrest due to issues with Gino’s housing documentation. However, his legal team defended the arrangement and presented a job offer as further proof of stability. Gino himself addressed the court, expressing the strength of his support network.  After deliberation, the court ruled in his favour, granting release without electronic monitoring. While Hungarian authorities accuse anti-fascists of participating in a “criminal organisation” and committing violent acts., neo-Nazi participants in the same clashes were released without prosecution. Hungary’s vague assurances about detention conditions and trial fairness have also drawn sharp criticism. The defence cited grim reports of “white torture” in Hungarian prisons, including permanent solitary confinement and 24-hour surveillance. The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture has documented overcrowding, inhumane conditions, and systemic abuse. Hungary’s judiciary, weakened under Viktor Orbán’s rule, faces mounting EU criticism. The 2016 dismissal of a judge who criticised judicial reforms and ongoing protests by Hungarian magistrates highlight deep concerns about political interference in legal processes. “There is an obvious lack of separation of powers,” Gino’s lawyers argued, adding that France must not become complicit in an unfair political prosecution. “The charges are disproportionate. The process is unfair. The risks are real,” declared the Committee for the Liberation of Gino. “France must refuse this extradition.” Outside the courthouse, supporters repeated the chant: “Free Gino! Free Maja! Free all antifas!” Video and top photo: Milan, 1 March The post Antifascist Gino released ahead of extradition judgement appeared first on Freedom News.