Every year since 1997, on the 11th of February, a large number of far-right and neo-Nazi groups flock to Budapest for public events, commemorating the attempted escape of the besieged Nazi SS and Wermacht troops and their local collaborators from Budapest in 1945, shortly before the liberation of the city from the Red Army forces. This day is a reference point and meeting point for the European far right and takes place with the full tolerance of the Hungarian state, as this date is presented as a day of historical remembrance by the apologists and nostalgists of the Nazis.
On 11 February 2023, the Hungarian police made 6 arrests, with the Italian comrade Ilaria and the German comrade Tobias being in Hungarian prisons since then, accused of attacking Neo-Nazis during public far-right events in Budapest on the occasion of the so-called Memorial Day. In particular, Ilaria is accused of participating in two attacks against Nazis, with the aggravating circumstance of “endangering a victim’s life”, while also being accused of knowing, without herself being involved, of the existence of an international criminal association that organized the attacks in questions. While our German comrade Tobias along with another German comrade are being accused of participation in a criminal organization.
The conditions of detention in Hungarian prisons are truly harsh and inhumane, creating an environment of mental and biological extermination with sensory isolation and significant restrictions on communication and access to the courtyard, poor sanitary conditions and constant inmate transfers. In the ‘civilised’ West, however, things are not very different as both the Italian and the German state engage in a ruthless hunt for anti-fascists. More specifically, the German state has been holding comrade Lina hostage for more than 4 years, accusing her of more than 7 targeted anti-fascist actions and even going so far as to put a price on the head of anti-fascist comrades, forcing them into a fugitive status. While in Italy the conditions of detention for those involved in the struggle, are torturous and lead to slow death.
On 29 January 2024 the first hearing of the trial takes place, where the prosecution proposes a sentence of 11 years for the Italian comrade, while for the other two it proposes a sentence of 3 years and 6 months. In the face of the prosecution’s proposal, the Italian and German comrades plead not guilty. The German comrade accepts his participation and is sentenced to 3 years, but the prosecution appeals, which will take place in October, asking for a sentence of 3 years and 6 months.
However, in addition to the trial of the three comrades, which is already taking place, the Hungarian State is issuing European Arrest Warrants (EAWs) in connection with this case for fourteen people of Italian, German, Albanian and Syrian nationality. So far, three arrests have been made in Italy, Germany and Finland on the basis of the EAWs. More specifically, on the 21st of November, comrade Gabriele was arrested in Milan and was placed under house arrest, awaiting the decision of the prosecutor’s office, which finally decided not to authorize his extradition to Hungary and as a result the comrade was released from the restrictions. On the 12th of December, comrade Maja was arrested in Germany and is awaiting a decision on her extradition. While another comrade with an Albanian passport is arrested in Finland on the 2nd of February 2024 and in turn remains under house arrest until his possible transfer to the Hungarian prisons. All other comrades have since then been under fugitive status.
This case comes to highlight in the most emphatic way a series of tendencies that in recent years we have seen emerging in the international context. More specifically, on the one hand, states are armoring themselves, constantly upgrading their ideological and repressive arsenal (military, legal, technological) against the threatening social explosions by expanding the number of social groups that consist the “internal enemy”. While at the same time, through the intensifying capitalist crisis and the intensification of geopolitical rivalries leading to global turbulence, far-right formations are emerging in Europe and beyond, increasing their social influence. Formats and inclinations with reactionary, conspiracist, demagogic and populist, easily digestible narratives that present themselves as ‘lifelines’ for the recovery of capitalist stability. A capitalist stability that attempts to establish itself on the drowned bodies of immigrants and the impoverishment of the social majority. Societies that are being prepared by the states to become increasingly involved in new imperialist wars that will lead to new massacres and myriad deaths of people of our class.
The persecutions against antifascist comrades, carried out with incredible fury, are attacks on the entire struggling society. Because of its profound internationalist and anti-capitalist nature, the states perceive militant antifascism as a mean towards class mobilization of a part of the oppressed, with prospects of generalizing resistance against the state , the capital and more specifically against the most reactionary and darker aspects of the regimes and the advocates of brutality.
On the 25th of May the next trial date has been set for the persecuted antifascists. In the face of this condition, we choose to stand in solidarity and struggle alongside all the persecuted comrades. To fight for the blocking of the European Arrest Warrants and for the release of all imprisoned comrades. Against the dark reactionary to which the washed up capitalist system has turned to, we will stand in defence of the militant anti-fascism and raise our internationalist resistances so that the passion for freedom and our struggles will overcome.
We support materially, morally and politically those who continue to fight the monster of fascism, sending a sign of solidarity to the wanted comrades, recognizing the attacks against fascists in Budapest as an event of major importance for the development of the militant anti-fascist movement nowadays.
WAR ON FASCISM, STATE AND CAPITAL – SOLIDARITY TO ALL THE PERSECUTED ANTIFASCISTS AND TO THE 2 MILITANTS PERSECUTED FOR ATTACKS ON THE OFFICES OF GOLDEN DAWN (TRIAL 16 SEPTEMBER)
Antifascists from the centre and the neighbourhoods of Athens and Piraeus
source: actforfree.noblogs.org