Hungarian prosecutors said they are bringing charges against Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony over his role in organizing a pride rally last June in the Hungarian capital, which authorities had previously banned.

The case stems from Hungary’s 2021 “Child Protection Act,” a law that restricts the public depiction of homosexuality and gender transition for minors and has been widely criticized as curbing LGBTQ+ rights. In March, the Hungarian parliament passed an amendment to the 2021 act that effectively bans assemblies like Pride events.

Karácsony, a Green politician and strong opponent of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, opposed the ban and invited people to join the 2025 Budapest Pride rally. The event took place in June, joined by over 100,000 participants, including several European politicians. Two months later, Karácsony was questioned by Hungary’s state police. Last December, he told his followers in a social media post he would face government charges for the case.

According to the Budapest prosecutor’s office, Karácsony faces a fine, not a trial. The indictment says the Budapest mayor had published a video message announcing that the city’s Metropolitan Municipality would organize the rally, and inviting his followers to attend.

The event qualified as an assembly outlawed under the new amendment, the prosecutors argue. By proceeding with the event, Budapest’s mayor is accused of committing the “misdemeanor of violating freedom of association and assembly,” the federal prosecutor office’s statement says.

Budapest’s mayor expressed outrage over the prosecutor’s statement, writing on X: “Prosecutors are seeking to fine me without a trial for announcing and organizing Budapest Büszkeség.” In a separate post, he wrote: “I refuse to be intimidated or silenced. I will never accept that standing up for freedom, free speech, or love can be treated as a crime. Despite threats or punishment, I will continue to fight. Freedom and love cannot be banned!”

Karácsony could not be immediately reached for comment. He is one of the ’10 to Watch’ in the POLITICO 28: Class of 2026.