Romani LGBTQI+ Activist Speaks Out After Facing Criminal Charges for Organising Pride March in Hungary
17 November 2025
By Judit Ignácz
Géza Buzás-Hábel, a young Romani teacher, human rights activist, and the leader of Diverse Youth Network, is facing criminal charges simply for organising an LGBTQI+ Pride event in Hungary. This was the 5th Pride march to happen outside of the capital, Budapest, and took place in Pécs on 4th October 2025. Just a few weeks later, on 28th October, Géza was under criminal investigation. His alleged crime? Exercising a freedom that EU law explicitly protects: the right to peaceful assembly. This is the first time in EU history that a Pride march organiser is being prosecuted under criminal law. Hungary’s case is unprecedented and dangerous.
On 28th October at 2pm, civil society groups and human-rights activists gathered outside the Pécs police station in solidarity with Géza during his interrogation. He is accused of organising a “prohibited assembly,” an offence that can carry up to one year in prison. His legal representative, Zsolt Szekeres of the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, and many other organisations support Géza.
Hungarian civil society organisations have issued a joint statement accusing the prosecution of mounting “politically motivated procedure” against Géza, aimed at discouraging people from exercising their right to peaceful assembly and from standing up for the values that matter to them. They also pointed out the record-breaking speed of the proceedings: “while in 2024 it took the police an average of 352 days to submit a recommendation for indictment to the prosecution, in this case, it was done within a matter of weeks… it could not be more obvious: Géza Buzás-Hábel has committed no act that is dangerous to society. On the contrary, he deserves recognition and gratitude for organising the largest Pécs Pride to date, where thousands marched for a safe and equal Hungary for all.”
The ERRC caught up with Géza Buzás-Hábel, after his interrogation, to interview him about the past few weeks and what it means to stand up for human rights in the face of authoritarian government pressure:
How did you feel when you received the police summons?
The summons arrived through my government portal on 16th October. We had considered this scenario likely, but it still hits hard when you see your name on a criminal investigation notice. On the 28th, police officers checked my data and informed me of my rights. My statement lasted less than 30 minutes. I told them openly that I organised the march. I did not deny my actions, but I will not call myself guilty for exercising a fundamental right. They accepted my statement and took photos of me from multiple angles. Fingerprints were not taken, which are usually taken only for violent offenders. However, it is clear that they perceived me not as a peaceful Pride march organiser but as a criminal.
By the way, it is fascinating how unusually fast Hungarian authorities can move when it comes to policing intersecting minorities and racialised groups. The case is now with the prosecutor’s office.
As you also mentioned, your case moved extremely fast. You were interrogated within 3 weeks after the march. Why do you think that is?
I am not a politician, and it is easier to initiate proceedings against a citizen. The process may have also been faster because three separate complaints were filed against me. Two of them are from extreme-right representatives. One came from Tamás Gaudi-Nagy, known as the defender of the radical right and the managing director of the so-called National Legal Protection Service [‘Nemzeti Jogvédő Szolgálat’]. They defended the Magyar Garda [‘the Hungarian Guard’, a fascist paramilitary] in its disbanding trial in 2009. The other is by Tamás Varga, a local member of the Mi Hazánk Movement [Hungary’s largest far-right party].
At the same time, I do not rule out the possibility that the proceedings had already been prepared in advance, and that they would have launched them even without the complaints. I can see that the government wants to make a deterrent example out of me, and it is likely that they want to deliver a verdict before the elections [scheduled for April 2026].
The procedure was only possible because the assembly law was tightened this spring. They tried to ban and make LGBTQI+ rights marches impossible in Hungary. They have had limited success so far. The Budapest Pride was one of the largest this year. It was a municipal event, so the new assembly law did not apply. But Pécs Pride is not a municipal event because I think the future of our community cannot depend on the current attitudes of individual politicians.
How was the relationship with the police during the previous Pécs Pride?
In previous years, we had a good relationship with the police. This year, we approached them six months before the event to consult, as we always do. They said the legal framework had changed and that consultations should take place only 1 month before the event. Eventually, we had only one meeting when we submitted the official notification of the event. Pécs Pride was registered and announced in advance as a public assembly. It was organised under the same rights that have governed peaceful demonstrations in Hungary for decades.
On 4th September, we announced that the march would be held on 4th October. Two days later, the police banned the event, and the Curia [Hungary’s highest court] upheld the ban. We filed a complaint against the ban with the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. The Curia allowed a protest against wildlife damage that took place on World Animal Day, on 4th October, and it was secured by the police. We also held our peaceful Pride march on the same planned date.
Pécs is the only city outside Budapest where Pride happens yearly. Why is it important?
In Hungary, Pécs is the only city outside Budapest where Pride is held annually, and this year was the fifth occasion. The march is the final element of our Freedom of My Identity human rights festival program series, which runs for eight days and includes several programmes that celebrate intersecting identities.
I consider myself a Romani human-rights activist first, and then an LGBTQI+ activist. Our organisation, the Diverse Youth Network, works on human rights, and the LGBTQI+ community is one among the many groups we represent. Hungary creates a hostile environment for civil society. We also face constant struggles to keep our organisation operating, and sometimes we even work for free.
We have felt clearly that LGBTQI+ communities are being positioned as the next scapegoat and the next enemy created by the government. I believe we are all fighting against the same force, which is hatred, and hate-inciting campaigns hit people in rural areas even harder. Therefore, we organised Pécs Pride, which is fully barrier-free because we believe that everyone should have access to participate.
During the Pécs Pride march, we were confronted by counter-protesters from the far-right 64 Counties Youth Movement (HVIM), Mi Hazánk Movement, and the conservative CitizenGO. Police ordered them to move back.
Hungarian authorities and their supporters say that Pride events violate the so-called “child protection” law, which prohibits “promoting homosexuality or gender change to minors” at public events. What do you think about this?
It is ridiculous and nonsense; to use child protection as an excuse is disgusting. People should pull their heads out of the sand and start focusing on what truly affects their children’s future in Hungary, such as the ongoing lack of access to quality education, unemployment, dying healthcare system, the unliveable housing and economic situation, systemic corruption, and ongoing human rights violations.
If Hungary, as an EU Member State, can criminalise peaceful assembly for LGBTQI+ people, it can do so for any group. This is not only about LGBTQI+ rights, but about the growing vulnerability of activists and organisations in this hostile environment. When a basic democratic right is taken away from one group, it can be denied to anyone. And that is a sign of the collapse of democratic values and protections.
Also, for many people in Hungary, the real issue is being forced to hide parts of their identity and carry the weight alone and in silence because society tells them they are a problem or that they should feel ashamed. One of the main goals of Pride is visibility. We fear the unknown and often attach stereotypes to it. But people’s opinions may change when they meet someone personally and hear their real experiences. So be open and get to know people’s stories! You never know, it could be your neighbour, friend, colleague, relative, or even your child.
Do you think these events intimidate current and future activists?
The intimidation already happened when the laws were created. For us, this situation actually strengthened our courage. It shows people that we do not have to accept oppressive power games. We expected the police summons, and we plan to take my case all the way to Strasbourg. Our final goal is to make sure this law does not remain in force.
Pride in Hungary is again about fighting for freedom. Freedom that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights also clearly define.
What is your message to those who still hesitate to speak up?
Do not accept the narrative that you must be silent. If we give up the right to assemble, we are just a small step away from the denial of other rights. Governments and people in power who deny and violate fundamental human rights must be held accountable.
This is also a warning for Europe. The EU is built on the principle that fundamental rights are not optional. If there are no real actions from their side, what credibility is left in their commitment to equality, dignity, and democracy?
In the end, the power of communities overwrites hatred. We do not bend before fear. I can confirm that we do plan to organise the Freedom of My Identity Human Rights Festival and Pécs Pride for the 6th time next year.
Hungary’s Anti-Pride Legislation
On 18th March 2025, the Hungarian Parliament passed a law that effectively bans Pride events (and similar LGBTQI+ public gatherings). The law links these events to Hungary’s existing “child protection” legislation, which prohibits “depiction or promotion” of homosexuality or gender transition to minors (under-18). Participants can be fined up to 200,000 HUF (roughly €500), and organizers may face imprisonment. The law also allows authorities to use face recognition to identify attendees.
On 14th April 2025, Hungary’s Parliament adopted a constitutional amendment strengthening this ban. The new text prioritises what they call “children’s rights for their proper physical, mental and moral development” over “other fundamental rights” (except the right to life). The amendment also explicitly states that there are only two sexes (male and female), targeting gender identity rights.
These laws violate freedom of assembly, freedom of expression, privacy, and non-discrimination. There have been significant protests in Budapest, and MEPs have also spoken out, calling for EU-level action. However, according to a briefing from the European Parliament, the Supreme Court in Hungary has refused to make a preliminary reference to the Court of Justice of the European Union or to check the law on the grounds of the European Convention on Human Rights.
The double standards are remarkable and unmistakable. In Hungary, freedom of assembly is applied selectively. LGBTQI+ Pride organisers like the Romani human rights activist Géza Buzás Hábel face criminalisation, while every year several national and international neo Nazi and fascist groups hold public demonstrations such as the Day of Honour or the Far-Right Fight Night with little to no interference. It is ironic, especially since restrictions on such extremist gatherings were originally introduced after World War II to prevent the return of fascism.
What is happening to Géza Buzás-Hábel is alarming. No one should be criminalised for organising a peaceful Pride march. Not in Hungary. Not anywhere in Europe. The European Roma Rights Centre stands firmly with Géza and all activists facing persecution and calls on European institutions to uphold fundamental rights and take action without delay.
