If this is the price of standing up for freedom, I am proud of it – Budapest mayor after becoming a suspect in investigation into Pride

It was revealed on Thursday that one month after the biggest ever Budapest Pride Parade, the police are going to question the capital's Mayor Gergely Karácsony as a suspect. We contacted the press office of the city of Budapest, and received the following response:

“The mayor was contacted by a representative of the investigating authority and asked to come in for questioning as a suspect. No further details were provided. The questioning will likely take place next week, pending scheduling.”

We also asked what the mayor's response was to being summoned as a suspect in relation to the organizing of Pride. In this part of its response, the office quoted Karácsony's recent Facebook post, in which he commented on the developments with a single sentence:

"I have now become a suspect, and if this is the price we have to pay for standing up for our own freedom and that of others in this country, then I am proud of it," he wrote.

It was revealed after the event that no proceedings would be brought against any of the participants, but the National Bureau of Investigation (KR NNI) is continuing its investigation against unknown perpetrators in relation to organizing the event. 444 inquired about this with the National Police Headquarters on Thursday, which responded that “the mayor has been summoned as a suspect by the investigating authority and he will be questioned next week.”

In June, Karácsony said that since the event was to be organized by the municipality, it did not fall under the scope of the law on assembly, but added that regardless of this, he believed that he bears all legal and political responsibility and would stand up for those who might face retaliation in connection with Pride. He also said at the time that he did not believe it was in Fidesz's interest to keep this issue on the agenda, and therefore did not expect a substantive investigation.