Activist in custody in Hungary What you need to know about the Maja T. case
Maja T. is in solitary confinement in Hungary for alleged involvement in attacks on right-wing extremists. Maja T. is now protesting against the prison conditions with a hunger strike - and is demanding a fair trial in Germany.
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- Maja T. is alleged to have been involved in attacks on right-wing extremists in Budapest in February 2023.
- Despite a ban by the Federal Constitutional Court, T. was extradited to Hungary in June 2024, where she faces up to 24 years in prison.
- Since the beginning of June 2025, T. has been on hunger strike to protest against his treatment and for his return to Germany.
- Politicians, family and over 100,000 signatories of a petition are calling for Maja's return to Germany.
- An application for house arrest was rejected and the trial continues despite the hunger strike.
Why is Maja T. in custody?
The Hungarian public prosecutor's office accuses Maja T. of being involved in attacks on actual and alleged right-wing extremists in Budapest in February 2023 and thus being jointly responsible for serious bodily harm.
The 24-year-old non-binary person rejected an offer from the public prosecutor's office: if she confessed, she would receive a prison sentence of 14 years without a trial. Maja T. now faces up to 24 years in prison if convicted.
How long has Maja T. been in Hungary?
Maja T. was arrested in Berlin in December 2023 and extradited to Hungary in June 2024 - although the Federal Constitutional Court had prohibited this. But the decision came a few minutes too late. In February 2025, the Federal Constitutional Court once again declared the extradition unlawful.
The German authorities had not sufficiently investigated the detention conditions in Hungary. There were structural problems such as violence and overcrowding. There is also a risk that Maja T. will be discriminated against due to her non-binary identity. The Federal Constitutional Court also criticized "the disconcerting presentation in court": Maja T. was brought into the courtroom on chains in February.
Why is Maja T. on hunger strike?
Maja T. went on hunger strike at the beginning of June 2025 to protest against her detention in Hungary. "Here in Hungary, I am buried alive in solitary confinement," Maja T. wrote.
At the start of the trial, Maja T. complained about being held in solitary confinement under "inhumane conditions". At the start of the trial in February, there was talk of sleep deprivation due to hourly checks in the cell and poor hygienic conditions, among other things. In addition, not all trial files were available in German translation.
The hunger strike is a last attempt to experience a fair trial and to be transferred to Germany.
What does Germany say?
Maja's father Wolfram Jarosch explained that they wanted Maja T. to have a fair trial in Germany. A petition calling for Maja T. to be returned to Germany has already been signed by 100,000 people.
German politicians from the Green Party and the Left Party are also campaigning for Maja T's return to Germany. Martin Schirdewan, leader of the Left Party in the European Parliament, demanded: "The German government must make Maja T.'s return from Hungary to Germany a priority right now." He had previously visited Maja T. together with other MEPs and members of the Bundestag.
Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz has not yet commented publicly on the case.
At the end of June, the court in Budapest rejected an application to transfer her to house arrest. It sees an increased risk of absconding.
What happens next?
Maja T. has now been on hunger strike for more than three weeks. Maja T. has lost more than twelve kilograms and is "very weak", said her father Jarosch.
At the beginning of July, Maja T. was taken to a prison hospital in south-eastern Hungary. In principle, the transfer to hospital made sense, as her condition could be better monitored by doctors there than in prison, said her father Jarosch. However, there is no interpreter at the hospital, which would be important to ensure that the doctors there do not initiate any coercive measures. "I think Maja wants to continue the hunger strike," father Jarosch continued.
The court had previously decided to continue the trial against Maja T. despite her hunger strike. It deemed Maja T. fit to stand trial and rejected an application to postpone the hearings. The public prosecutor's office had doubted that Maja T. was actually on hunger strike.