The mayor of Budapest, Gergely Karacsony, is facing a year in prison for allegedly aiding in the planning of the city’s LGBTQ+ Pride march in late June, following a ban on the event by Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
Despite Orbán’s bans, Budapest Pride saw its largest turnout in history this year when between 200,000-300,000 people attended the march, including politicians from other E.U. member states.
According to reports from BBC, Karacsony attended the protest wearing a rainbow T-shirt featuring the Budapest coat of arms. On Friday, he told supporters at Hungary’s National Bureau of Investigation “Neither freedom nor love can be banned in Budapest.” “If it cannot be banned, it cannot be punished,” he continued.
Ahead of the march, law enforcement in Budapest announced they would not act against attendees, who otherwise would have faced fines of up to €500, BBC reports. However, if convicted Karacsony could face up to a year in prison for the organizing the event.
The bill banning public Pride events was pushed through hastily last spring thanks to an initiative from Orbán, who has imposed crackdowns on civil rights throughout the country leading up to the 2026 general elections. It passed with a wide margin, with 136 votes in favor and only 27 against.
Under the new law, it is an offense to hold or attend events in violation of the country’s “child protection” bill. according to Outright International. This bill, which passed in 2021, not only bans depictions of homosexuality in media but also any public depictions of transgender or gender nonconformity, as well as any mention of LGBTQ+ issues and identities in schools.
The new legislation aligns with Orbán’s rhetoric surrounding LGBTQ+ rights, i.e. that they violate “children’s rights to moral and spiritual development.” According to NBC News, a recent amendment to Hungary’s constitution declares that these rights take precedence over other civil protections like the right to assemble.
Though Hungarian law enforcement claim the event took place illegally, they announced they would not press charges against attendees and instead would investigate Pride organizers.
