A Hungarian court will rule on a German anti-fascist activist facing up to 24 years for violence ahead of a Nazi commemoration in Budapest.

BUDAPEST: A Hungarian court is expected to deliver its verdict on Wednesday in the case of a German anti-fascist activist facing up to 24 years in prison.

The defendant, non-binary activist Maja T., is accused of involvement in violent assaults ahead of Budapest’s 2023 “Day of Honour” commemoration.

Prosecutors allege Maja T. was part of a multinational far-left group that attacked nine people identified as far-right extremists.

They have requested a 24-year sentence as a deterrent, citing victims’ broken bones and head injuries.

The 25-year-old’s supporters question the fairness of the trial in Hungary.

They cite Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s designation of linked Antifa groups as terrorist organisations last year.

Maja T.’s father, Wolfram Jarosch, denounced the proceedings as a “political trial”.

He claimed it aimed to “win votes” for Orban ahead of a tough reelection battle in April.

Jarosch said his child is the “ideal enemy” for Orban’s socially conservative government.

He added that supporters were barred from attending the trial or staging protests.

Germany’s Constitutional Court had opposed extradition over discrimination risks.

The court found Maja T. risked discriminatory treatment as a non-binary person in Hungary.

However, the ruling came too late to prevent the handover by Saxony police.

Police said the overnight helicopter transfer was necessary to prevent “disturbances”.

Multiple people accused in the 2023 attacks have been tried in Hungary and Germany.

One individual received a five-year prison sentence in Germany.

Italy and France have refused to surrender two suspects to Hungarian authorities.

Courts in both countries cited the risk of “inhumane treatment” in prison.

Last year, Maja T. staged a 40-day hunger strike over their “unlawful handover”.

They also protested against what they called “inhumane” prison conditions.

Hungary’s prison service has denied these allegations.

Orban has vowed to clamp down on “far-left violence” within the EU country.

His government has previously faced accusations of heavy-handedness in legal cases.

 The Sun Malaysia