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Upholding the rights to protest: defending the Budapest Pride march

Written declaration No. 807 | Doc. 16155 | 08 April 2025

Signatories:
Mr Max LUCKS, Germany, SOC ; Ms Sofia AMLOH, Sweden, SOC ; Mr Gergely ARATÓ, Hungary, SOC ; Ms Petra BAYR, Austria, SOC ; Mr Iulian BULAI, Romania, ALDE ; Mr Edmunds CEPURĪTIS, Latvia, SOC ; Mr Christophe CHAILLOU, France, SOC ; Mr Yves CRUCHTEN, Luxembourg, SOC ; Ms Cat ECCLES, United Kingdom, SOC ; Ms Edite ESTRELA, Portugal, SOC ; Lord Michael GERMAN, United Kingdom, ALDE ; Baroness Ruth HUNT, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Mattias JONSSON, Sweden, SOC ; Ms Saskia KLUIT, Netherlands, SOC ; Ms Bisera KOSTADINOVSKA-STOJCHEVSKA, North Macedonia, SOC ; Mr Christophe LACROIX, Belgium, SOC ; Mr José LATORRE, Spain, SOC ; Ms Luz MARTINEZ SEIJO, Spain, SOC ; Ms Giulia MURATORI, San Marino, SOC ; Ms Wanda NOWICKA, Poland, SOC ; Ms Kate OSBORNE, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr George PAPANDREOU, Greece, SOC ; Ms Manuela PERTEGHELLA, United Kingdom, ALDE ; Ms Valérie PILLER CARRARD, Switzerland, SOC ; Ms Filiz POLAT, Germany, SOC ; Ms Agnes Sirkka PRAMMER, Austria, SOC ; Ms Marijana PULJAK, Croatia, ALDE ; Mr Ivan RAČAN, Croatia, SOC ; Ms Azadeh ROJHAN, Sweden, SOC ; Mr Stefan SCHENNACH, Austria, SOC ; Mr Georgios STAMATIS, Greece, EPP/CD ; Ms Patricia STEPHENSON, Ireland, NR ; Ms Susanna VELA, Andorra, SOC ; Ms Gala VELDHOEN, Netherlands, SOC

We, the undersigned, declare the following:

The ban on Budapest Pride march represents a serious violation of the freedoms of assembly and expression. This decision is part of a broader and growing trend of State-sponsored discrimination against the LGBTI+ community in Hungary and undermines fundamental democratic values.

In recent years, Hungarian authorities have increasingly restricted LGBTI+ rights, enacting laws that limit freedom of expression, suppress gender identity, and stigmatise the community. The ban on Budapest Pride march is a continuation of this concerning pattern of human rights violations.

Freedom of assembly is a fundamental right enshrined in international and European human rights law. The European Court of Human Rights has consistently affirmed that States have a positive obligation to ensure public security while safeguarding the right to peaceful protest. The ban under the pretext of concerns about public order, is unjustified and sets a dangerous precedent for further restrictions on civic freedoms.

We call upon the Hungarian authorities to:

  • reverse the decision to ban Budapest Pride march and ensure that it can take place without obstruction;
  • guarantee the safety and rights of LGBTI+ individuals and their allies during public demonstrations;
  • uphold Hungary’s commitments to fundamental freedoms, as a member State of the Council of Europe.