Frankfurt (Germany), 4 February (LaPresse) – German citizen Maja T., 25, has been sentenced to 8 years in prison by a court in Budapest for her alleged involvement, as a member of the so-called “Hammerbande” (hammer gang), in attacks on suspected right-wing extremists in February 2023. The Budapest court reached its decision after a trial lasting almost a year, as reported by Bild. The charges were attempted grievous bodily harm and participation in a criminal organisation. Maja T. identifies as non-binary. According to the indictment, between 9 and 11 February 2023, around 20 alleged far-left militants, including Maja T., attacked people at five locations in Budapest using telescopic batons, rubber hammers and pepper spray. The attacks were directed at those who, according to the attackers, had participated in the so-called “Day of Honour”, an annual SS commemoration rally tolerated by local authorities. Nine people were reportedly injured during the incidents, one of whom suffered a skull fracture. Italian citizen Ilaria Salis was arrested in connection with the same case. The prosecution had sought a 24-year prison sentence for Maja T., but little direct evidence emerged during the trial: no testimony or biological evidence linked Maja T. to the attacks. The prosecution's case was based mainly on security camera footage from near the scenes of the incidents. Maja T. was arrested in Berlin in December 2023 and extradited to Hungary in June 2024, despite the German Constitutional Court subsequently ruling the extradition unlawful, on the grounds that prison conditions had not been adequately assessed for the non-binary person. Politicians from Linke, the Greens and the SPD called for the citizen to be returned to Germany. Maja T.'s family had reported degrading prison conditions, including almost total isolation, continuous video surveillance and insect infestations. The defendant had also gone on hunger strike in protest. If the defence appeals, Maja T. will likely remain in custody in Hungary.