Some good news, at least provisionally: 21-year-old antifascist Zaid A. was paroled on Friday after three months in custody in Cologne, Germany. He had been held under threat of extradition to Hungary in connection with the "Budapest Complex" cases relating to events that took place during a major international neo-Nazi gathering in Feb. 2023.
This is noteworthy in part because, while seven suspects turned themselves in to German authorities in January after spending nearly two years out of sight, the other six have not been threatened with extradition because they are all German citizens (they are nonetheless likely to be tried in Germany on behalf of the Hungarian gov't). Zaid, by contrast, is a Syrian citizen, despite having grown up in Germany.
Zaid is now on a suspended sentence (he still has to check in with the cops three times a week), and it's unclear what will happen next. He could still be extradited, or he could also be prosecuted in Germany on Hungary's behalf. In the worst case scenario, he is looking at a sentence of up to 24 years. For now, though, it sounds like he and his family are relieved, if still very cautious.
#FreeZaid #FreeMaja #FreeHanna #FreeGino #FreeThemAll #BudapestKomplex #BudapestComplex
