Dear Chief Prosecutor,

I am writing to express deep concern regarding the ongoing criminal investigation against Géza Buzás-Hábel, in relation to organising the Pécs Pride march on 4 October 2025. According to publicly available information, Géza Buzás-Hábel, was questioned by the police as a ‘suspect of the crime concerned by the police’ on 28 October for ‘organising a banned assembly’. Following the conclusion of the police investigation, the case has been forwarded to your office for a decision on the next steps.

The police decision on the Pécs Pride, effectively declaring it ‘a banned assembly’ in September 2025 was arbitrary and discriminatory, based solely on the ‘anti-Pride’ law which became effective in April 2025. This ban and the legislation itself have been widely criticized by regional and international organisations as regressive, discriminatory and to be in violation of human rights standards. The organisation of a peaceful assembly advocating for equality, human rights, and remembrance, such as Pécs Pride, is protected conduct under the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly, freedom of expression and non-discrimination, as enshrined in regional and international standards to which Hungary is bound.

The international community is closely following Géza Buzás-Hábel’s situation, which represents an alarming escalation in the criminalization of LGBTI+ expression and peaceful assembly in Hungary.

Organising a Pride march is an act of courage, solidarity, and hope. You have the authority to reaffirm that peaceful assembly must be protected.

Prosecuting Géza Buzás-Hábel would constitute a violation of his rights, including to freedom of peaceful assembly and expression. I urge you to immediately terminate the proceedings against Géza Buzás-Hábel as he should not be at risk of prosecution simply for exercising his rights.

Yours sincerely,