The European Parliament has announced that Belarusian journalist Andrzej Poczobut and Georgian journalist Mzia Amaglobeli are the laureates of the 2025 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, to be formally awarded on 16 December.
Announcing the award on Wednesday in Strasbourg, EP President Roberta Metsola praised the two journalists for their courage in speaking truth to power, highlighting them as symbols of the fight for freedom and democracy.
Who are Andrzej Poczobut and Mzia Amaglobeli?
Poczobut, a member of the Polish minority in Belarus, has been detained since 2021 and sentenced to eight years in a penal colony on politically motivated charges for his criticism of the Lukashenka regime. The European Parliament has repeatedly called for his immediate and unconditional release, condemning attempts to silence independent voices.
Amaglobeli, director of Georgian media outlets Batumelebi and Netgazeti, was arrested in January 2025 after participating in anti-government protests and sentenced to two years in prison.
She is Georgia’s first female political prisoner since independence in 1991 and a leading figure in the country’s pro-democracy movement. Parliament has also called for her immediate release and condemned attacks on democratic institutions by the Georgian government.
What is the Sakharov Prize?
Named after Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov, the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought is the EU’s highest human rights award.
It recognises individuals, groups, or organisations defending human rights, freedom of expression, and democratic values.
Previous laureates include Nelson Mandela, Malala Yousafzai, and most recently Maria Corina Machado, who later won the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize.
Polish MEP Andrzej Halicki welcomed the 2025 Sakharov Prize, highlighting the courage of journalists defending freedom and democracy and stressing that the European Parliament will continue its fight for political prisoners.
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Source: European Parliament
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