February 4th saw German far-left activist ‘Maja T.’—born Simeon T.—sentenced to eight years in prison by the Budapest-Capital Regional Court for his role in a series of brutal, ideologically motivated attacks in February 2023.
The court found that Maja T., a member of the extremist Hammerbande (Hammer Gang), participated in organized, premeditated assaults on individuals deemed ‘right-wing’ ambushing them from behind and beating them with batons, metal rods, and other weapons. Several victims suffered broken bones, skull fractures, and other serious injuries.
The Hungarian verdict has drawn criticism from German left-wing politicians and media, some of whom visited Maja T. during his pre-trial detention. However, Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) expressed support for the judgment, stating that the crimes were extremely violent and warranted a conviction:
Maja T. belongs to a left-wing extremist group that has attacked other people with batons, rubber hammers and other weapons…. Since these crimes were committed in Hungary, in my opinion, there is nothing wrong with a procedure and a subsequent judgment in Hungary.
