taz: Mr. Jarosch, your child Maja T. was arrested on Wednesday in Budapest for alleged attacks on neo-Nazis sentenced to 8 years in prison. You were present at the verdict. What do you feel?
Wolfram Jarosch: I’m totally exhausted. We drove to Budapest all night because the train wasn’t running. I hardly slept. As far as the verdict is concerned, relief is exaggerated, but we had feared even worse. There was a risk of up to 24 years in prison. On the other hand, 8 years are also very hard. The judge almost completely agreed with the prosecution’s argument. Eight years in prison conditions, the toughest that exist in Hungary, with no chance of early release: That’s quite a shock. I don’t know how to deal with it yet.
In an interview: Wolfram Jarosch
Wolfram Jarosch is 55 years old and a teacher at a school in Jena. He is the father of Maja T.
taz: For judge Jószef Sós it is clear: Maja T. was involved as part of “Antifa Ost” in the attacks in Budapest during the neo-Nazi “Day of Honor”. Did the trial clarify what really happened?
Yarosh: No. The verdict is completely unjustified. The judge has it key points from the lawyers not taken into account at all. There is no evidence that Maja used violence. There is no evidence, neither statements nor videos, for one of the two alleged acts. There is a video of the other crime that supposedly shows Maja. Even if it really is Maya, you can clearly see that this person is uninvolved, doesn’t carry a weapon, just walks back and forth. There is only one statement from an injured party who claims to have recognized Maja in the first statement, but not in the second. That’s really strange. There are allegations that need to be investigated. But within a constitutional framework.
taz: The court also raised the accusation of membership in a criminal organization.
Yarosh: According to Hungarian law, such an association would have to be permanent and hierarchically organized. There is no evidence of this, nor that Maja knew the other accused beforehand. Incidentally, the injuries were also unduly dramatized during the trial. The head injuries healed after eight days. The expert said that at the beginning, and it was only later in the process that he changed his mind to the fact that theoretically life-threatening injuries could have occurred at this point.
taz: You were there on almost all days of the trial. How did you experience the court case?
Yarosh: It really stood out how the judge always aligned himself with the prosecution. Maja’s request for house arrest was rejected, among other things, because Maja was out Desperate over solitary confinement, she went on hunger strike. The judge said this showed that Maja did not recognize the authority of the court. The judge interpreted the fact that supporters came into the courtroom as an indication that Maja must be a member of a criminal organization. Behind it is of course Pressure from Prime Minister Viktor Orbánwho had “Antifa Ost” classified as a terrorist organization. The proceedings were a political show trial.
taz: Maja T. has filed an appeal in court. As long as the proceedings are ongoing, Maja will probably stay in Hungary. Wouldn’t it be better to bring Maja back to Germany immediately?
Yarosh: That wouldn’t have been possible because the public prosecutor filed an appeal first. That means there would have been an audit anyway. In Hungary, if the public prosecutor’s office appeals, only the same or a harsher sentence is possible. Maja had to appeal so that there could be a more lenient sentence. Everything is possible, from acquittal to 24 years in prison. But yes, the terrible prison conditions will probably continue to exist. In the end, the judge again rejected an application for exemption from custody or house arrest.
taz: Maja T. will not be transferred to normal prison?
Yarosh: The prison where Maja is serving has placed Maja in the harshest prison category. At the beginning it was said that Maya was supposedly so dangerous. Then that Maja was so at risk as a non-binary person. This classification was not communicated to us in writing, so we cannot take action against it. Since the hunger strike, there have been small reliefs in detention: no more 24-hour video surveillance, solitary confinement for only 23 hours instead of the whole day. According to the United Nations Nelson Mandela Rules Solitary confinement may only last 2 weeks and a maximum of 22 hours a day. It’s been a year and a half for Maja now. This is a form of psychological torture that is deliberately used to break and destroy an inmate.
Foreign Minister reserved Johann Wadephul (CDU) reacted cautiously to the verdict against Maja T. “This is not a legally binding verdict in an EU country. And we respect that,” said the CDU politician. Germany has requested extradition – “all of this continues.” The Foreign Office did not want to comment on the verdict, but said it was continuing to look into the case at a “high level”.
Nationwide criticism After the verdict, Martin Schirdewan, co-chair of the Left in the European Parliament, spoke of a “show trial that should never have taken place in Hungary”. He criticized a “incomplete prosecution based solely on circumstantial evidence” and a “disproportionate” sentence. René Repasi (SPD) from the SPD criticized that the Orbán government had “instrumentalized the process for political propaganda”. Criticism also came from the ranks of the Greens. The right-wing extremist AfD, on the other hand, was pleased with the verdict.
Germany-wide demos On Wednesday evening there were protests from the left-wing scene across Germany, including in BerlinLeipzig, Hamburg, Dresden, Freiburg, Nuremberg and Kiel. The demonstrations remained peaceful. The Solidarity Committee for Maja accused Hungary of showing an “unconditional will to persecute” with the “disproportion between the evidence and the verdict”. It spoke of a “major blow” and a “campaign against anti-fascism”. The committee called for a demonstration in Jena on Saturday, February 7th. (tk)
taz: You have been supporting your child tirelessly since he started prison. How has your life changed?
Yarosh: My life has been completely turned upside down. I could never have imagined all this. It’s one shock after another. Already two years ago there were concerns about extradition. Then that Maja was unlawful in a way was brought to Hungary in a paramilitary, state-organized kidnapping. Now this political show trial. This puts a huge strain on me, including mentally. I also work full time and always drive the 1,000 kilometers to Budapest. Sure, I’m reaching my limits.
taz: Your child’s case has international implications. The USA calls it “Antifa Ost” as a terrorist organization and put it on a list with Hamas and al-Qaeda. Hungary also calls Antifa a terrorist organization. How does it feel when your own child becomes a pawn in global politics?
Yarosh: In my opinion, Donald Trump is the terrorist who murdered people in boats off the Venezuelan coast and kidnapped the Venezuelan president in violation of international law, even if Maduro really isn’t a great guy. This is all so absurd. In Hungary, the counter-protest to the SS commemoration “Day of Honor” on February 14th, where a Holocaust survivor was supposed to speak, was banned – the Nazis are allowed to walk. These are all very worrying developments that scare me. Democracy and the rule of law are under pressure everywhere. We have to defend ourselves against this.
taz: What are you demanding from the federal government?
Yarosh: Six months ago, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) pointed out the Federal Constitutional Court’s ruling that the extradition was unlawful and said that Maja had to be brought back. Now he has rowed back a bit and has recognized the Hungarian process and the appeal. I demand that Maja be brought back now for a fair trial in Germany. Like extradition, repatriation is also a political question. Maja must finally be granted human rights and the rule of law.
taz: How do you look to the future, what do you want for Maja?
Yarosh: I hope that Maja gets through the whole process and maintains her strength. That this nightmare finally ends. That Maja can finally study forestry and live with friends and her fiancée.