Hungarian Prosecutors Drop Pride-Related Charges Following EU Ruling

Human Rights Research Center
Jun 11
4 min read

June 11, 2026

HRRC welcomes the dismissal of charges against Gergely Karsácsony and Géza Buzás-Hábel while continuing to call for the repeal of laws that restrict LGBTQ+ rights, freedom of expression, and peaceful assembly in Hungary.

Thousands attend the Budapest Pride parade in 2025 despite bans [Image credit: Attila KisbenedekI/AFP]

On June 4, Hungarian prosecutors announced that they had dropped criminal charges against Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony and human rights activist Géza Buzás-Hábel for their roles in organizing Pride events in 2025. The charges stemmed from a “child protection law” passed by former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government in 2021. The law restricts the portrayal and discussion of LGBTQ+ identities to minors, stating that the protection and care of a child’s development should override all other fundamental rights, with the exception of the right to life. In March 2025, Hungarian lawmakers used the 2021 law to further restrict freedom of assembly, effectively banning Pride marches and authorizing the use of facial recognition technology to identify event organizers and attendees.

Following the legislation’s expansion, Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony announced that the city of Budapest would continue with its annual Pride march, attempting to circumvent the law by classifying the march as a municipal event, which would not require any permits. Police warned that organizing Pride events could result in criminal penalties and subsequently banned the march, stating that it still fell under the scope of the child protection law. Viktor Orbán corroborated the warnings by stating that there would be legal consequences for those organizing or attending the march.

Despite the ban, organizers proceeded with Budapest Pride on June 28, 2025. Tens of thousands of people participated in the march, which became one of the largest Pride events in Hungarian history. Karácsony described the event as a “celebration of freedom” and argued that neither freedom nor love could be banned. The demonstration also evolved into a broader anti-government protest, as many viewed the bans as indicative of Orbán’s crackdown on democratic freedoms.

In January 2026, prosecutors filed charges against Karácsony for his role in organizing Budapest Pride, seeking a criminal fine and proposing to resolve the case without a trial. Similarly, in the city of Pécs, prosecutors charged teacher and longtime activist Géza Buzás-Hábel for helping to organize a local Pride march in October 2025. The charges carried a potential sentence of up to one year in prison.

Both cases have been dropped due to a recent ruling by the European Court of Justice which found that Hungary’s “child protection” law was incompatible with European Union (EU) law, describing it as an attempt to portray the LGBTQ+ community as a threat to society. The court found that Hungary’s legislation had systematically discriminated against and violated the fundamental rights of LGBTQ+ people protected by the EU. The ruling requires Hungary to bring its legislation into compliance with EU law, and failure to do so could lead to further legal action and financial penalties.

The cases had drawn criticism from human rights advocates and organizations, who expressed concern over democratic backsliding and the increase in restrictions on LGBTQ+ rights and freedom of assembly in Hungary. Human Rights Watch described the EU’s judgement as a “landmark ruling” that sends an important message about consequences for member states that undermine fundamental human rights.

Glossary

Activist: a person who takes direct action to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change
Authorities: government officials or institutions responsible for enforcing law and maintaining order
Circumvent: to find a way around something
Compliance: the act of obeying a law, rule, or standard
Corroborated: to add proof to an account, theory, or statement
Criminal charges: a formal accusation that someone has committed a crime
Democratic backsliding: the gradual weakening of democratic institutions, rights and political freedoms within a country
European Court of Justice: supreme court within the European Union responsible for interpreting EU law to ensure it is applied across all member states
European Union (EU): a political and economic union of 27 European countries that share common laws, institutions, and policies
Freedom of assembly: the right of individuals to gather peacefully and express their ideas
Freedom of expression: the right of individuals to express their ideas, opinions, and receive information without government interference
Fundamental rights: the basic guaranteed human rights rooted in core values of human dignity, equality, non-discrimination, freedom, and democracy
Human rights: the basic freedoms and protections that belong to every human being
Human Rights Watch: an international human rights organization that investigates and reports on human rights cases and abuses around the world
Incompatible: being too different to exist together
Indicative: being or relating to a sign that something exists, is true, or likely to happen
Legislation: a law or set of laws that are created by a government
LGBTQ+: an umbrella term referring to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other sexual and gender identities
Municipal event: an event organized, sponsored, or hosted by a local government or city authority
Organizer: a person responsible for planning, coordinating, or leading an event or activity
Political freedoms: rights related to participation in political life, including voting, protest, free speech, and joining organizations
Pride march: a public event celebrating LGBTQ+ identities and inclusion
Prime Minister: the leader of the government in a country with a parliamentary system
Prosecutors: the legal team representing the government that is charging the accused
Public assembly: a gathering of people in a public space for a common purpose, such as a protest, rally, or celebration
Repeal: to officially remove, cancel, or remove a law
Systemic discrimination: discrimination that is embedded within laws, policies, or institutions and affect a particular group
Undermine: to weaken or damage something gradually
Violated: to break, disregard, or infringe upon a set boundary, law, agreement, or right

References

HRRC accepts NO funding from governments for our research or campaigns. At every step of the way, our impact is made possible because of people like YOU. Make your contribution now!

Hungarian Prosecutors Drop Pride-Related Charges Following EU Ruling

Recent Posts