Hungarian prosecutors have accused the mayor of Budapest, Gergely Karacsony, of organizing a banned LGBTQ+ rally, requesting the imposition of a criminal fine without trial.

Prosecutors in Hungary have filed charges against the liberal mayor of Budapest, Gergely Karacsony, for organizing a rally for the rights of the LGBTQ+ community in June last year, despite a police-imposed ban. The rally, which gathered tens of thousands of participants, became one of the largest demonstrations against the government of nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Prosecutors stated that Karacsony violated the law by leading a banned gathering and proposed imposing a criminal fine without organizing a trial.

Karacsony attempted to circumvent the ban by registering the march as a municipal event, but the police claimed it was subject to a controversial law adopted in 2021. The mayor responded to the charges, stating that he considers himself a "proud defendant" and that the fight for freedom has a price in Hungary. Orban's government has gradually restricted the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, and critics accuse these measures of being part of a broader crackdown on democratic freedoms, in the context of elections scheduled for April, when Orban faces a significant political challenge.