Hungary | Budapest Complex: Antifascist Zaid A. released for the time being

On Friday, 21-year-old Zaid A was unexpectedly released. After serving just over three months in prison, he was allowed to leave Cologne-Ossendorf Prison under certain conditions after the Berlin Higher Regional Court granted him a reprieve. The young anti-fascist had been in extradition custody since January and can now return to his family in Nuremberg for the time being – but he must report to the police three times a week.

A. is accused by Hungarian authorities of having participated in attacks on right-wing extremists in Budapest in February 2023. At that time, neo-Nazis gathered there for the "Day of Honor," a Europe-wide memorial march for fallen Wehrmacht and SS members. At least 18 anti-fascists – including A. – are said to have attacked several participants, some of them seriously injured. Hungary's judiciary subsequently initiated unprecedented repression. Suspects in this "Budapest complex" were identified across national borders and issued with European arrest warrants. Zaid A. and other anti-fascists went into hiding for almost two years, and a total of seven of them finally surrendered to German authorities on January 20 .

A.'s status as the only non-German among the accused is controversial. Although he grew up and was socialized in Germany, he only holds Syrian citizenship. Regarding the six others who surrendered to the authorities in January at the same time as A., the Federal Prosecutor's Office stated that they intend to conduct the proceedings regarding the Hungarian charges in Germany. Accordingly, they will not be extradited to Hungary.

However, Germany's highest judicial authority has so far felt it was not responsible for the A. case. This discrepancy has been the subject of ongoing criticism: "It is completely incomprehensible that Zaid is being treated differently than the other defendants in the Budapest complex," complained a spokeswoman for the "Family & Friends" initiative at a rally in front of the prison on Easter Saturday.

The current release apparently occurred because the review of the Hungarian extradition request is taking an unusually long time. The Higher Regional Court is said to have recently sought assurances from Hungary regarding humane detention conditions, a fair trial, and the right to serve a sentence in Germany – as in the case of Maja T., who was extradited this summer. According to supporters, this formal legal exchange has been dragging on for weeks, and there are no firm commitments from Hungary, activists explain to "nd."

However, it is also possible that, following their criticized actions in the Maja T. case, the judicial authorities will now have to take a closer look at the information Hungary is providing regarding the detention conditions: A few minutes after T.'s transfer to Hungary was completed, the Federal Constitutional Court ruled in summary proceedings that the transfer was unlawful. The reasons given in the main proceedings, which were also later won, included, among other things, that the German constitutional court judges had doubts about the human rights situation in Hungary.

"Like Zaid himself, we learned of his release at very short notice," says Hadid from the Cologne solidarity group "Freedom for Zaid." They immediately went to the prison, picked him up, had a brief exchange, and then put him directly on an ICE train to his home in Nuremberg. There, he was greeted at the platform that evening by his parents, friends, and many supporters. On Thursday, thousands demanded his freedom at the May Day demonstration; to stand at the platform one day later, eagerly awaiting his arrival, was "both surprising and overwhelming," says Alex Schmidt, spokesperson for the Nuremberg supporters.

What the release means is unclear to anyone this weekend. While the current reprieve from prison is "a success and a relief," neither extradition nor an indictment by the Federal Prosecutor's Office on behalf of Hungary is off the table, according to the Solidarity Initiative. Zaid's parents expressed relief to "nd" over the weekend, though they remain concerned. First of all, their son now has a lot of catching up to do with his friends, and everything else will be discussed calmly later.

Zaid A.'s freedom is therefore precarious – as the decision on his extradition is still pending. Until the matter is finally resolved, he lives with his bags packed: ready to appear in court again at any time – in Berlin or possibly in Budapest. A conviction there could result in a sentence of up to 24 years – without juvenile criminal law, despite his young age.