Pécs Pride organiser faces prison in Hungary's latest move against LGBTQ+ rights

Hungarian prosecutors have brought criminal charges against Géza Buzás-Hábel, organiser of the 2025 Pécs Pride march, in a case that has intensified concerns over the country’s continuing crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights and freedom of assembly.

Buzás-Hábel was formally informed on Monday, 9 February that the Pécs District Prosecutor’s Office had referred his case to the local district court. If convicted, he faces up to one year in prison for organising last year’s Pride event, despite a police ban and a subsequent ruling from Hungary’s Supreme Court upholding that decision.

Amnesty International condemned the charges, describing them as an attack on peaceful activism. “We are outraged that the prosecutor has brought charges against Géza Buzás-Hábel,” said Dávid Vig, the organisation’s Hungary Director.

“Rather than being threatened with a criminal sentence, he should be commended for his courage in organising the largest Pécs Pride in history. Géza did nothing wrong but instead was standing up for equality and for freedom of assembly.

“Together with our partners – the Háttér Society, the Hungarian Helsinki Committee and the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union – we stand with Géza and commit ourselves to defending him.”

The 2025 march took place under the slogan “We will not bow to fear”, despite authorities’ attempts to stop it. It became the largest Pride event the southern city has seen, drawing participants who protested peacefully against tightening restrictions on public assembly and the erosion of minority rights, including those of LGBTQ+ and Roma communities.

Buzás-Hábel, a teacher and long-time human rights advocate, continued his activism in the wake of a controversial amendment to Hungary’s law on assembly. Introduced earlier in 2025, the change effectively banned protests and marches supporting LGBTQ+ rights, prompting widespread criticism from domestic and international watchdogs.

Human rights groups argue that the prosecution of Buzás-Hábel marks a new escalation in the government’s campaign against LGBTQ+ visibility and civic dissent. A date for his court hearing has not yet been announced