‘Proud Defendant’: Budapest Mayor, Gergely Karácsony, charged over Pride support

Budapest’s mayor, Gergely Karácsony, is facing criminal prosecution after defying a government ban to support and help organise last year’s Pride march in the Hungarian capital. Prosecutors have filed charges alleging that he organised and led a public gathering despite a police prohibition, and are seeking to impose a fine through summary judgement without a trial.

The case stems from Hungary’s increasingly restrictive legislation on LGBTQ+ expression and public assembly. Amendments to the country’s “Child Protection Act” and further constitutional changes passed in 2025 have effectively banned Pride events, limiting any public depiction or promotion of homosexuality and defining gender strictly as biological sex at birth. 

Despite these constraints, Budapest Pride in June 2025 drew hundreds of thousands of participants, making it one of the largest demonstrations in recent years. Karácsony declared the event a municipal gathering in an attempt to circumvent the police ban and personally led the march, actions that prosecutors now say constitute a breach of assembly laws. 

Karácsony has responded defiantly, calling himself a “proud defendant” and insisting that standing up for freedom and human rights should never be treated as a crime. He argues that Hungary’s crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights reflects a wider erosion of democratic norms under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government, which has been criticised for centralising power and curtailing civil liberties. 

Human rights organisations, European politicians and LGBTQ+ advocacy groups have condemned the charges, warning that prosecuting an elected mayor for facilitating a peaceful assembly sets a dangerous precedent. They argue that such actions could intimidate both public officials and ordinary citizens from exercising fundamental rights. 

Karácsony could face a significant fine and, under related laws, organisers of banned assemblies may even risk up to a year in prison, though prosecutors in this case are currently seeking only financial penalties.

The case now moves to the Pest Central District Court, which may issue a decision without holding a full trial. As Hungary’s political climate continues to polarise, the proceedings are likely to draw intense scrutiny both domestically and across the European Union