Budapest’s opposition mayor Gergely Karácsony said on Thursday that police had recommended charges against him for organising the city’s 30th pride parade in June, which attracted record turnout despite an official ban.
If prosecutors decide to follow the recommendation, he could face up to a year in prison if convicted of organising and urging participation in a banned rally.
“The police concluded their investigation against me in connection with the Budapest pride march in June with a recommendation to press charges,” Karácsony said in a Facebook video.
He called the accusations “absurd”, saying the municipality has the right to “hold any event it wants on its own public property”.
There was no comment immediately available from police on the case.
Pride organisers said more than 200,000 people took part in the 28 June parade in what they described as a rebuke of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s years-long clampdown on LGBTQ rights in the name of “child protection”.
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After the nationalist leader declared his intention to ban this year’s celebration, his ruling coalition in parliament passed new laws to prohibit the annual parade.
Budapest city hall stepped in to co-organise the event in a bid to circumvent the adopted regulations, but police still issued a ban.
Before the march, Orbán warned organisers and attendees of “legal consequences”.
But police announced in July they would not take action against participants, who could have faced fines up to €500 for attending the pride parade.
Karácsony, who was interrogated in August, said he would be proud to get indicted.
“I am proud that I took every political risk for the sake of my city’s freedom, and I stand proudly before the court to defend my own freedom and that of my city” he added.
(vib)
