Budapest Complex | Solitary confinement in Hungary: Maja T. goes on hunger strike

In protest against the prison conditions in Hungary, Maja T. has announced that she will immediately begin a hunger strike. A Budapest court was supposed to decide on a request for house arrest on Wednesday, the second day of the trial, but the decision was postponed until June 20. In response, T. writes that the situation is no longer tenable: For almost a year, T. has been held in "inhumane, long-term solitary confinement."

For three months, the nonbinary person's cell was under video surveillance. For seven months, T. was permanently handcuffed outside of the cell – even during visits, doctor's appointments, or phone calls. At night, there were hourly checks, with the lights turned on each time. Visits took place through partitions. Intimate checks were routine. Furthermore, the cell was infested with cockroaches and bedbugs, the food was poor, and fresh air was scarce.

Added to this is the psychological exhaustion caused by long-term solitary confinement. For almost half a year, Maja T. had no contact with fellow prisoners. Even today, the anti-fascist spends more than 23 hours a day alone. According to the United Nations' Nelson Mandela Rules, this form of isolation is considered inhumane treatment – ​​torture – after just 15 days. T. writes: "I am buried alive in a prison cell."

Now, the hunger strike is being used as an emergency brake. In the statement, T. emphasizes that, under these conditions, she can no longer wait for decisions from a judiciary that systematically violates the law . Maja T. demands extradition to Germany and criticizes the role of German authorities: The Berlin Higher Regional Court and the Linx Special Commission of the Saxony State Criminal Police Office (LKA) deliberately enforced the extradition – despite an open constitutional complaint and foreseeable human rights violations.

T's father told "nd": "As a father, I am very afraid for my child, for Maja's health, and for Maja's life. But I understand the desperation that is driving Maja to take this step. And I will do everything I can to bring Maja back." He also demands the latter from the new Foreign Minister, Johann Wadephul (CDU): "Bring Maja back to Germany and ensure respect for human rights and a fair trial!"

For the second day of the trial on Wednesday, the court forecourt was cordoned off by a large police presence, metal fences, and police vehicles. A solidarity demonstration for Maja T. was forced to march on the sidewalk and was stopped a few meters from the court. Numerous supporters had traveled from Germany, Austria, and Italy. The few neo-Nazis present were significantly less belligerent than on the first day of the trial, but the right-wing press and right-wing "influencers" photographed the spectators.

The proceedings against T. are part of the so-called "Budapest Complex" – a construct of Hungarian security authorities that responded to anti-fascist protests surrounding the "Day of Honor" in 2023. At that time, anti-fascists mobilized in Budapest to oppose the Europe-wide meeting of neo-Nazis. In this context, the Hungarian public prosecutor's office accuses Maja T. and others of being partly responsible for serious bodily harm. The Hungarian judiciary classified the anti-fascist actions as "acts of terrorism." This resulted in an international wave of repression against left-wing activists – coordinated, among others, by police authorities in Hungary, Germany, and Italy.

Several cases have now been consolidated into a single one, including those of Gabriele Marcesi and Ilaria Salis. The European Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee recommended on Wednesday that Salis's immunity be partially revoked. She was elected from prison on a left-wing list in June 2024 during the European elections and has enjoyed immunity ever since.