US EditionBudapest mayor charged for organising banned Pride parade
Prosecutors seek a fine for Budapest's mayor after he led the largest Pride march in Hungary's history despite a police ban under new child protection laws.
- On Jan 28, 2026, prosecutors filed charges against Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony for organising and leading a banned Budapest Pride march and seek a fine without a full trial.
- Orbán's government passed legislation that allowed authorities to ban Pride, and earlier this year the Hungarian parliament prioritised 'child protection' over assembly rights with a constitutional amendment.
- Karácsony reclassified the parade as a municipal event and led the June 28, 2025 march, which went peacefully with around 200,000 participants from Madách Square to the Buda riverside.
- Rights groups say the prosecution underscores rule-of-law concerns and critics view it as part of a wider crackdown ahead of parliamentary elections due on April 12.
- European Greens and EU politicians urged dropping the charges, citing legal changes that authorise facial recognition and fines up to 500, nearly $600.
69 Articles
69 Articles
Budapest mayor charged for supporting Pride march
The mayor of Hungary’s capital has been indicted for helping organize a Pride march last year, in spite of a new law that forbade public LGBTQ+ events.Hungarian prosecutors said Wednesday they would seek to impose a fine on Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony for promoting the Pride celebration, rather than seeking to jail him, Courthouse News reports. They did not specify the amount of the fine.“I was a suspect. Now I'm being accused because I sto…
Despite a ban, tens of thousands of people participated in the so-called Pride March in Budapest in June, including many top politicians from all over Europe. After the LGBTQ event, the Hungarian authorities took part in investigations against organisers and those responsible. The focus of the investigation was among others the liberal mayor Gergely Karácsony. Now he has also been charged. The demonstration developed into one of the biggest prot…
The institution has accused the mayor of “violating the freedom of association and assembly” in the indictment filed before the Court of Human Rights.
Viktor Orbán had the Pride banned, Gergely Karácsony declared it to be an event of his city. Now the Hungarian prosecutor's office goes against him. Karácsony counters proudly.
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