Another Pride march organizer charged in Hungary

The prosecutor's office has brought charges against Géza Buzás-Hábel, the organizer of the Pécs Pride march. Human rights organizations representing and supporting him have described this move as a further manifestation of the weakening of the rule of law in Hungary, according to Telex.

According to them, it is unacceptable that an activist should face imprisonment for peacefully promoting equal rights for sexual and gender minorities and for exercising freedom of assembly.

After the Pride march in Pécs, which took place in early October, the authorities launched several investigations. It later emerged that the police had also detained the organizer himself and questioned him as a suspect.

The authorities took similar action against the organizer of Pride in Budapest and the mayor of the capital, Gergely Karácsony. He declared the event a municipal event, but the police classified it as a gathering and banned it. Charges were also brought against him at the end of January.

Last year, the organizers announced that they would hold the march in Pécs despite the ban issued by the police and confirmed by the Hungarian Supreme Court.

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