Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
He even acknowledged the prosecution’s account of his actions, stating “that is excactly what happened”.
If you ever get charged with a crime, how woul you react? Fear? Anger? Denial?
Not many would answer “proudly”, but that is excactly how Karacsony Gergely, Mayor of Hungarian capital Budapest, feels.
Why? Because he is charged with arranging last years Pride march in Budapest.
Unlawful assembly
Hungarian prosecutors on Wednesday said they had charged Gergely Karácsony over his role in organizing the June 28 Pride march, which police had prohibited.
According to the Budapest Chief Prosecutor’s Office, the mayor is accused of organizing an unlawful assembly.
The statement said prosecutors had recommended a fine without a trial. It accused Karácsony of defying a police order, issuing public calls to attend the march and leading the event himself.
“Proud” mayor
In a written response posted on Facebook, Karácsony said he was a “proud defendant” and rejected any suggestion that he should be deterred.
“It seems that in this country, this is the price you pay if you stand up for your own freedom and the freedom of others,” he wrote. “If anyone thinks they can ban me, deter me, or prevent me and my city from doing so, they are gravely mistaken.”
He acknowledged the prosecution’s account of his actions, adding: “That is exactly what happened.”
Article continues below.
Click to display external content from iFrames except google ads,
- You can always enable and disable third-party content.
You agree to display external third-party content. Personal data may be sent to the provider of the content and other third-party services.
Karácsony has been under police investigation since the march, which organizers said drew around 300,000 participants, making it the largest Pride event in Hungary’s history.
Broader crackdown
The case follows legislation passed by Orbán’s ruling party in March 2025 that banned Pride events and allowed authorities to use facial recognition technology to identify participants.
The government has argued that Pride violates children’s rights to moral and spiritual development. A constitutional amendment adopted last year elevated those rights above others, including the right to peaceful assembly.
Orbán’s party has also passed earlier measures, such as a 2021 law restricting content depicting homosexuality for minors, which rights groups and European politicians have condemned as discriminatory and likened to policies in Russia.
Sources: Facebook profile of Gergely Karacsony, CNN, AP News, The Independent
