Free the Budapest 2!

[DE]

Am 16.01.2024 haben zwei Cops aus Thüringen Tobias in der Haft in Budapest aufgesucht.

Sie versuchten sich als Helfer zu inszenieren. Unter Bezug auf das zu erwartende Urteil und die Haftbedingungen in Ungarn wurde ihm ein Angebot gemacht. Wenn er kooperieren würde, könne er in den Zeugenschutz aufgenommen werden und eine Rücküberführung nach Deutschland würde forciert werden.

Tobias hat dieses Angebot entschieden abgelehnt.

[EN]

On 16.01.2024, two cops from Thuringia visited Tobias in custody in Budapest.

They tried to present themselves as helpers. They made him an offer, referring to the expected sentence and the prison conditions in Hungary. If he cooperated, he could be accepted into witness protection and a repatriation to Germany would be expedited.

Tobias firmly rejected this offer.

[EN]

13th January 2024, 15:00 in Piazza Durante.

It is evident how in the last decades, securitarian policies, segregation and exclusion measures as well as population control mechanisms have been repeatedly tightened up. This trend has been characterizing the management of the territory defined as European. At the same time, we are witnessing the strengthening of extreme right-wing positions. Organized neo-Nazi and neo-fascist groups are increasingly proliferating, well supported outside and inside the institutions.

Decades of deep economic and social crises have not only crippled the poorest and most vulnerable parts of the population but have also created fertile ground for the propaganda of populist, identitarian and strongly reactionary ideas. Various political forces, more or less institutionalized, are in recent years reaping the results of this propaganda: from the growth in consensus recorded by the major European right-wing parties, such as the Rassemblement National, the Lega and Fratelli d’Italia, the AfD and Vox, to the success of street demonstrations fomented by fascists. The movement for Macedonian independence in Greece, the infiltration of fascists in several demonstrations against the Covid-19 restrictions, the recent riots in Spain against the amnesty for Catalan separatists or the racist riots that broke out in Dublin are just a few worthwhile examples.

In this context of ever more explicit and invasive oppression and the abrupt readjustment of global capitalism, those who organize to resist and to fight the violence of states, capital and their extreme right-wing watchdogs, are faced with ever more extensive and aggressive repression. In such dark times we’re living in, when the winds of war are whistling ever louder in our ears, repression of the internal enemy and social pacification emerge as priorities of all national governments.

In this general background, while the European Union is considering putting anti-fascist groups on the blacklist of those designated as terrorists, two comrades have been imprisoned in Hungary since February 2023. Both are involved in an investigation led by the Hungarian police for aggressions against neo-Nazis that reached Budapest from all over Europe during the weekend of the ‘Day of Honour’. A gathering during which the Nazis commemorate the annihilation of the German Wehrmacht by hand of the Red Army during the siege of Budapest, on the 11th of February 1945.

However, the accusatory castle of the Hungarian prosecutors is not limited to the events that took place in Budapest nor to the days of the commemoration: in the context of an increasingly close cooperation between states and European police forces, the attempt of the investigators is to link the actions that took place in Hungary to a much broader procedure opened in Germany since 2018: the so-called ‘AntifaOst’ investigation, in which several German comrades are accused of attacks against prominent members of the German neo-Nazi world. The attempt is to affirm the existence of a phantom criminal association that allegedly organized the attacks in Hungary.

For this reason, in addition to Ilaria and Tobias, who are detained in Budapest, the Hungarian public prosecutor’s office requested 14 European Arrest Warrants (EAW) against as many German, Italian, Albanian and Syrian comrades. Many of them have not been found to date.

In December Maja has been arrested in Germany and is now in prison and Gabriele, a comrade from Milan, has been under house arrest with all restrictions since November 22th, following the execution of one of these EAWs.

The trial that will evaluate his extradition request from Italy to Hungary is likely to end in January 2024, month in which the trial in Budapest against Ilaria, Tobias and a third comrade will begin.

They are variously accused of having taken part in the attacks and of being members of or knowing the supposed association that allegedly organized them.

On January the 13th we will take to the streets not only to clearly express our solidarity and proximity to the prisoners in Budapest as well as to Gabriele and the comrades who are wanted; we also want to clearly state that we have chosen a side.

We have chosen not to delegate the fight against fascists and Nazis to the democratic institutional apparatus that does nothing but defend and legitimize them in the name of a vaunted ‘freedom of expression’. We are convinced that fascists must be fought directly, at this historical moment more than ever. We claim militant practices and believe it is necessary to implement them at every latitude to stop Nazi’s groups.

Even in Italian cities, albeit less violently than in other European contexts, fascists are present and trying to raise their heads. These servants of capital, fake rebels only useful for maintaining the current social order, must be nipped in the bud!

Every day in our struggles, in our paths, we choose to stand with those who oppose the bosses, those who are exploited, those who suffer repression, those who resist imperialist wars and decide to fight back, with those who do not delegate their freedom.

We choose to stand against borders, which are militarily controlled and closed, preventing those fleeing misery from finding a safer place and in fact putting their lives at risk.

The same borders that kill migrants day by day have always been the terrain of political repression and capillary control of the territory. Recently, administrative instruments have been refined, because they are faster to enforce and have a more ‘depoliticised’ form. To give just a few examples, think of the Italian comrades detained in Paris and repatriated at the beginning of June on the occasion of the commemoration of Clement Meric, or of the dozens of comrades blocked at the border with a ban on entering the french territory for the No Tav demonstration in Val Maurienne at the end of June, or of the apparently ‘lifelong’ bans on entering France notified following the big day of struggle against the mega reservoir in Saint Soline on March, 25th. While these examples show us an increasingly heavy-handed control of political dissent and very close cooperation between European police forces, at the same time we are witnessing an increasingly unscrupulous and ‘effective’ use of instruments such as EAWs.

We are for acting in the first person, not delegating our struggles to institutions and the state that accept everything that falls within their paradigm of democracy and appeasement by trying to wipe their faces with fine words that only remain words.

A world free of fascism and fascists is possible, it is up to us to build it.

FREEDOM FOR ILARIA, TOBIAS, MAJA AND GABRIELE!

SOLIDARITY WITH THE COMRADES AND COMRADES UNDER INVESTIGATION AND ON THE RUN!

FREEDOM FOR ALL!

[IT]

APPELLO PER UN CORTEO NAZIONALE ANTIFASCISTA A MILANO IL 13 GENNAIO 2024
Concentramento ore 15 in piazza Durante

Oltre al sempre più evidente inasprimento di politiche securitarie, misure di segregazione ed esclusione, meccanismi di controllo della popolazione, che negli ultimi decenni stanno caratterizzando la gestione del territorio definito Europa, assistiamo contestualmente al rafforzamento di posizioni di estrema destra. Gruppi neonazisti e neofascisti organizzati e con ampi margini di agibilità, fuori e dentro le istituzioni, proliferano sempre più. Decenni di profonde crisi economiche e sociali, oltre ad aver messo in ginocchio la parte più povera e vulnerabile della popolazione, hanno creato un terreno assai fertile alla propaganda di idee populiste, identitarie e fortemente reazionarie.

Diverse forze politiche, più o meno istituzionali, stanno in questi anni raccogliendo i risultati di questa propaganda: dalla crescita del consenso registrata dai maggiori partiti di destra europei, come il Rassemblement National, la Lega e Fratelli d’Italia, l’AfD e Vox fino al successo delle manifestazioni di piazza fomentate dai fascisti. Il movimento per l’indipendenza della Macedonia in Grecia, l’infiltrazione dei fascisti in diverse piazze contro le restrizioni Covid-19, i recenti disordini in Spagna contro l’amnistia per i separatisti catalani o gli scontri razzisti scoppiati a Dublino sono solo alcuni degli esempi che ci vengono in mente. In questo contesto di oppressione sempre più esplicita e invasiva e di brusco riassestamento del capitalismo globale, chi si organizza per resistere e combattere la violenza degli Stati, del capitale e quella dei loro cani da guardia di estrema destra si trova di fronte a una repressione sempre più estesa e aggressiva. In tempi cupi come quelli che viviamo, in cui i venti di guerra fischiano sempre più forti alle nostre orecchie, la repressione del nemico interno e la pacificazione sociale si manifestano come priorità di tutti i governi nazionali.

In questo quadro generale, mentre l’Unione Europea sta valutando la possibilità di inserire i gruppi antifascisti nell’elenco di quelli indicati come terroristi, due compagni si trovano da febbraio 2023 in carcere in Ungheria. Entrambi sono coinvolti in un’inchiesta della polizia ungherese per degli attacchi subiti da alcuni neonazisti giunti a Budapest da tutta Europa durante il weekend del “Giorno dell’Onore”. Ricorrenza in cui i nazisti commemorano l’annientamento della Wehrmacht tedesca avvenuto l’11 febbraio del ’45 da parte dall’Armata Rossa durante l’assedio di Budapest. Il castello accusatorio dei procuratori magiari non si limita però ai fatti accaduti a Budapest né ai giorni della commemorazione: nell’ambito di una sempre più fitta collaborazione tra Stati e polizie Europee, il tentativo degli inquirenti è quello di collegare le azioni avvenute in Ungheria ad un ben più ampio procedimento aperto in Germania a partire dal 2018: la cosiddetta inchiesta “AntifaOst” che vede imputati numerosi compagni e compagne tedesche accusate di aggressioni ai danni di esponenti di spicco del mondo neonazista tedesco. Il tentativo è quello di affermare l’esistenza di una fantomatica associazione criminale che avrebbe organizzato gli attacchi avvenuti in Ungheria. Per questo motivo oltre a Ilaria e Tobias, detenuti a Budapest, la procura ungherese ha chiesto di spiccare 14 Mandati di Arresto Europei (MAE) nei confronti di altrettanti compagni tedeschi, italiani, albanesi e siriani. Molti di loro ad oggi non sono stati trovati.

Gabriele, un compagno di Milano, si trova, invece, agli arresti domiciliari con tutte le restrizioni dal 22 novembre, a seguito dell’esecuzione di uno di questi MAE. L’iter processuale che deciderà sulla sua estradizione dall’Italia all’Ungheria si concluderà verosimilmente nel mese di gennaio 2024, mese in cui a Budapest inizierà il processo contro Ilaria, Tobias e una terza compagna imputata insieme a loro. Sono accusati a vario titolo di aver preso parte agli attacchi e di essere membri o conoscere la supposta associazione che li avrebbe organizzati.

Il 13 gennaio scenderemo in strada non solo per esprimere in maniera netta la nostra solidarietà e vicinanza ai prigionieri di Budapest così come a Gabriele e ai compagni che sono ricercati; vogliamo anche ribadire chiaramente che abbiamo scelto da che parte stare. Abbiamo scelto di non delegare la lotta contro fascisti e nazisti a quegli apparati istituzionali democratici che non fanno altro che difenderli e legittimarli in nome di una millantata “libertà d’espressione”. Siamo convinti che i fascisti vadano combattuti in maniera diretta, in questo momento storico più che mai. Rivendichiamo le pratiche militanti e crediamo necessario attuarle ad ogni latitudine per fermare i gruppi nazisti. Anche nelle città italiane, se pur in maniera meno violenta che in altri contesti europei, i fascisti sono presenti e provano ad alzare la testa.

Questi servi del capitale, finti ribelli utili solo a mantenere l’attuale l’ordine sociale, vanno fermati sul nascere! Ogni giorno nelle nostre lotte, nei nostri percorsi, scegliamo di stare con chi si oppone ai padroni, chi è sfruttato, chi subisce la repressione, chi resiste alle guerre imperialiste e decide di rispondere, con chi non delega la propria libertà. Scegliamo di schierarci contro i confini, che vengono controllati militarmente e chiusi impedendo a chi fugge dalla miseria di trovare un luogo più sicuro e di fatto mettendo a rischio la loro vita.

Gli stessi confini che quotidianamente uccidono chi emigra sono, da sempre, terreno di repressione politica e controllo capillare del territorio. Di recente si sono affinati strumenti amministrativi, più veloci e, nella forma, “spoliticizzati”. Per fare solo qualche esempio, pensiamo ai compagni italiani trattenuti a Parigi e rimpatriati i primi di giugno in occasione della commemorazione di Clement Meric, o alle decine di compagni e compagne bloccate in frontiera con un’interdizione ad entrare nel territorio francese per la manifestazione No Tav in Val Maurienne a fine giugno, o ancora alle interdizioni apparentemente “a vita” di entrare in Francia notificate in seguito alla grande giornata di lotta contro il mega bacino di Saint Soline del 25 marzo.

Se da una parte questi esempi ci mostrano un controllo del dissenso politico sempre più pesante e una collaborazione tra polizie Europee molto stretta, contestualmente assistiamo ad un utilizzo di strumenti come i MAE sempre più spregiudicato ed “efficace”. Non ci faremo piegare dalla repressione, e non rinunceremo a spostarci in contesti di lotta anche lontani da dove stiamo tutti i giorni. Siamo per l’agire in prima persona, non delegando le nostre lotte alle istituzioni e allo Stato che accolgono tutto ciò che rientra nel loro canone di democrazia e pacificazione tentando di ripulirsi la faccia con belle parole che solo parole rimangono.

È possibile un mondo libero da fascismi e fascisti, sta a noi costruirlo.
LIBERTÀ PER ILARIA, TOBIAS, MAJA E GABRIELE!
SOLIDARIETÀ AI COMPAGNI E ALLE COMPAGNE INQUISITE E LATITANTI!
LIBERTÀ PER TUTTI E TUTTE!

Siamo tutti antifascisti!
Solidarity with the anti-fascists in Italy!

This Tuesday – on November 21st – the Italian cops arrested another person in the context of the Budapest complex. The comrade is currently under house arrest, but extradition to the Hungarian Orban regime is on the table. The comrade is accused of taking action against Nazis together with other antifascists at the so-called „Day of Honor“, a Nazi march in February this year. On the Day of Honor, more than 2000 neo-Nazis came to Budapest to commemorate the attempted escape of the besieged SS and Wehrmacht soldiers and their Hungarian collaborators.

This week’s repression is in line with the scandalous proceedings against the Budapest Two, who have been in prison in Budapest since the beginning of the year. The two imprisoned comrades Tobi and Ilaria from Germany and Italy have been denied the most basic rights, have not been allowed to receive visitors for a long time, have been isolated from the other prisoners and the hygienic conditions in prison are catastrophic.

It is scandalous, but not surprising, that the right-wing Hungarian state is not persecuting the fascists, but the antifas who oppose this Nazi cult. It is all the worse that the Italian and German governments are willing helpers of the Orban regime and provide advice and support in the persecution of the antifascists! And it is not only the governments that are participating in the persecution: Politicians can rely on the agitation of the press which, especially in Germany, participates in the manhunt for „left-wing extremists* in hiding“.

It is clear to us that this state cannot be relied on in the fight against fascism! Antifa remains manual labor! We send our love and solidarity to the imprisoned comrades! Greetings to all those in hiding! Free them all!

Show your solidarity with the detainees, come to Hans-Böckler Platz on Thursday, 23.11. 6 pm. From there we will march to the Italian Consulate.

Siamo tutti antifascisti!

[DE]

Siamo tutti antifascisti!
Solidarität mit den Antifaschist*innen in Italien!

Diesen Dienstag – also am 21. November – haben die italienischen Cops eine weitere Person im Kontext des Budapest-Komplexes festgenommen. Der Genosse befindet sich zur Zeit unter Hausarrest, doch eine Auslieferung an das ungarische Orban-Regime steht im Raum. Dem Genossen wird vorgeworfen, zusammen mit anderen Antifas, beim sogenannten „Tag der Ehre“, einem Nazi-Aufmarsch, im Februar diesen Jahres gegen Nazis vorgegangen zu sein. Am Tag der Ehre kamen über 2000 Neonazis nach Budapest um dem Ausbruchsversuch der dort belagerten SS- und Wehrmachtssoldaten sowie ihrer ungarischen Kollaborateure zu gedenken.

Die Repression von dieser Woche reiht sich in die skandalösen Verfahren gegen die Budapest Two ein, die seit Anfang des Jahres in Budapest im Knast sitzen. Den beiden inhaftierten Genoss*innen Tobi und Ilaria aus Deutschland und Italien werden elementarste Rechte verwehrt, sie durften lange keinen Besuch empfangen, wurden von den anderen Gefangenen isoliert und auch die hygienischen Bedingungen in Haft sind katastrophal.

Dass der rechts regierte ungarische Staat nicht die Faschist*innen, sondern die Antifas verfolgt, die sich diesem Nazikult entgegenstellen, ist zwar skandalös, aber nicht überraschend. Um so schlimmer, dass sich die italienische und deutsche Regierung zu willigen Helfern des Orban-Regimes machen und bei der Verfolgung der Antifas mit Rat und Tat zur Seite stehen! Und nicht nur die Regierungen beteiligen sich an der Verfolgung: Die Politik kann sich auf die Hetze der Presse verlassen die sich insbesondere in Deutschland an der Fahndung nach „untergetauchten Linksextremist*innen“ beteiligt.

Für uns ist klar auf diesen Staat ist beim Kampf gegen den Faschismus kein Verlass! Antifa bleibt Handarbeit! Wir senden unsere Liebe und Solidarität an die inhaftierten Genoss*innen! Grüße an alle Untergetauchten! Free them all!

Zeigt eure Solidarität mit den Inhaftierten, kommt am Donnerstag, 23.11. 18 Uhr zum Hans-Böckler Platz. Von dort ziehen wir dann zum italienischen Generalkonsulat.

Siamo tutti antifascisti!

In the night between Monday 20 and Tuesday 21 November, the police arrested Gabriele, a comrade from Milan, and took him to San Vittore prison.

Gabriele is a defendant in a judicial investigation into attacks on neo-Nazis in Budapest last February, the first arrests of which took place on 11 February 2023, leading to the imprisonment of the comrades Ilaria and Tobias. The attacks against the neo-Nazis took place during the weekend when the ‘Day of Honour’ falls, an important date for extreme right-wing circles in Hungary and throughout Europe, commemorating the massacre of a Nazi battalion by the Red Army in February 1945. These days hundreds of comrades gather in Budapest for a large commemorative march and to participate in various events organised for the occasion. As of today, the comrades arrested in February have been notified of the closure of the investigation and the start date of the trial, 29 January.

On 31 October, several newspapers in Germany and Hungary had published articles about the issuing by Hungary of a European arrest warrant against 14 people, investigated in the investigation, including ten Germans, two Italians, one Syrian and one Albanian.
To date, in addition to the arrests that have already taken place, we only know about Gabriele.

At the moment, Gabriele is under house arrest in Milan, with all restrictions, waiting for his extradition to Hungary to be discussed. The hearing in which the verdict for or against extradition will be given will take place in early December.

After this arrest, we want to underline the importance of an international solidarity mobilisation to give a strong response and emphasise the importance of anti-fascist practices everywhere, of leaving no room for extreme right-wing organisations, and that no day such as the Day of Honour goes unnoticed and occurs without anti-fascists mobilising.

We call on everyone to join us in saying no to the extradition of Gabriele, a measure that aims to isolate comrades from their loved ones and families, to hinder solidarity demonstrations, and to make defence in court more difficult. In Hungary we face a 98 per cent conviction rate at trial, and a judicial system that provides very heavy penalties for crimes that in Italy have much milder punishments. Furthermore, we have seen in recent months how difficult and burdensome communication between countries is, due to the constant need for translations, and in general to all the limitations given by not being present in the country where the defendants are and where the investigation is taking place. This is clearly what the repression wants: to make it difficult for us to carry out our solidarity practices and to isolate the defendants with the aim of breaking the hope and determination in them. We know that our comrades will not break easily. And we do not intend to take any step backwards in expressing our warmth and presence to them.

A further element that we would like to bring to light is the terrible and inhuman conditions of detention in the Budapest prison. Our comrade Ilaria, who has been held in the Budapest prison since February, is kept in a medium-security regime that is in fact a semi-solitary confinement: the time spent in the cell is 23 hours out of 24, with the blindo completely closed; even during the so-called hour of air, prisoners are kept underground, without direct sunlight. All translations of prisoners from the prison to court or police station etc. take place with a leather belt to which handcuffs are tied and their ankles chained together.

Every month, a disinfestation for bedbugs is carried out without giving the inmates sufficient time outside the cell so that they do not become intoxicated with the fumes of toxic substances. These are just some of the violence inmates are subjected to during their imprisonment.

In addition, after her arrest, Ilaria was not allowed to have interviews, receive packages or correspondence with any friends or family members for eight months.

Should the Italian justice system issue the extradition sentence for Gabriele, he will most likely find himself in similar if not worse conditions.

On Tuesday evening, a large group of people went under the walls of the Milan prison to greet him and all the inmates. We want to continue to make him feel our warmth and solidarity in these days.

We are launching a garrison for Sunday, 26 November, at 4 p.m., in Piazzale Aquileia, to express our anger and determination, for Gabriele, Ilaria, Tobias and for all the detained and wanted comrades and comrades and all imprisoned people in general.

For info write to aggiornamentibudapest@autistiche.org

The legal costs are very high, and we need everyone’s help to face them.

Donations for both Ilaria and Gabriele can be made to the account co-owned by:

Alice Zaffaroni and Martina Franchi

IBAN: LT523250062922492633

BIC: REVOLT21

[EN]

In February 2023, several antifascists were arrested in Budapest during the so-called „Day of Honor“.
They are accused of taking concrete action against some fascists who had traveled to Budapest for the demonstration on the „Day of Honor“.

A German comrade and an Italian comrade have been detained in Budapest since February. Several other comrades have successfully evaded the repressive authorities and have since been on the run.

On 28.10.2023, the Budapest Solidarity Alliance will give a presentation about the events in Budapest as well as politically classify the „Day of Honor“.

In addition, of course, donations will be collected for the detainees.
After the lecture there will be cold drinks at the Nantoka Bar before the floors open and our soliparty starts.

The collected entrance fee (which is of course on a donation basis) will also go to the Budapest Solidarity campaign!

Admission is from 18:30 at the AZ Cologne.

[DE]

Im Februar 2023 wurden in Budapest im Rahmen des so gennanten „Tag der Ehre“ mehrere Antifas festgenommen. 
Ihnen wird handfestes Vorgehen gegen einige Faschisten, welche für die Demonstration zum „Tag der Ehre“ nach Budapest gereist waren, vorgeworfen. 

Ein Deutscher Genosse und eine Italienische Genossin sitzen seit Februar in Budapest in Haft.
Mehrere andere Genoss*innen haben sich erfolgreich den Repressionbehörden entzogen und sind seit dem auf der Flucht.

Am 28.10.2023 wird das Solidaritätsbündniss Budapest Solidarity einen Vortrag über die Geschehnisse in Budapest halten sowie den „Tag der Ehre“ politisch einordnen.

Außerdem sollen natürlich Spenden für die Inhaftierten Gesammelt werden.

Nach dem Vortrag wird es noch kalte Getränke in der Nantoka Bar geben bevor die Floors öffnen und unsere Soliparty startet.

Der gesammelte Eintritt (welcher selbstverständlich auf Spendenbasis ist) wird unter anderem auch an die Kampagne Budapest Solidarity gehen!

Einlass ist ab 18:30 im AZ Köln