October 22, Pozirk. Jailed journalists Andrzej Poczobut in Belarus and Mzia Amaglobeli in Georgia have won the 2025 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola announced.
Poczobut was nominated by the European People’s Party Group and the European Conservatives and Reformists Group.
“He is a journalist, essayist and blogger from the Polish minority in Belarus, known for his criticism of Alaksandar Łukašenka’s regime and has become a symbolic figure in the struggle for freedom and democracy in the country,” MEPs said.
Poczobut was repeatedly arrested and given eight years in prison after being detained in 2021. He has often been held in solitary confinement without proper medical care with his current health situation unknown. MEPs demanded his immediate and unconditional release.
Every year, the European Parliament awards the Sakharov Prize to outstanding people and organizations who defend human rights and fight for democracy and the rule of law. This year’s nominees included journalists in Palestine, Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal and Budapest Pride.
