Two journalists imprisoned in Belarus and Georgia received the Sakharov Prize 2025. Andrzej Poczobut and Mzia Amaglobeli were honored for freedom of thought and speaking out against injustice.
UNN reports with reference to the European Parliament.
Details
The laureates of the 2025 Sakharov Prize have been announced. The award for freedom of thought was given to imprisoned journalists:
Andrzej Poczobut from Belarus and Mzia Amaglobeli from Georgia.
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola noted that the journalists are currently in prison on fabricated charges. They were doing their job and were not afraid to speak out against injustice.
Their courage has made them symbols of the struggle for freedom and democracy
Reference
Andrzej Poczobut is a journalist, essayist, blogger, and activist from the Polish minority in Belarus. Known for his outspoken criticism of the Lukashenka regime and his works on history and human rights, he has been arrested many times. Detained since 2021, he was sentenced to eight years in a correctional colony. Since then, his health has deteriorated, but despite not receiving the necessary medical care, he is still fighting for freedom and democracy. Poczobut's current health status is unknown, and his family is forbidden from visiting him.
Mzia Amaglobeli, a Georgian journalist and director of the online media outlets Batumelebi and Netgazeti, was arrested in January 2025 for participating in anti-government protests in Georgia. In August, she was sentenced to two years in prison on political grounds. Amaglobeli, Georgia's first female political prisoner since the country gained independence and a defender of freedom of speech, has become a leader of the Georgian pro-democracy protest movement, which opposes the ruling Georgian Dream party regime after the disputed elections in October 2024.
Recall
In March 2021, the Prosecutor General's Office of Belarus announced the opening of a case against the head of the Union of Poles in Belarus. It concerned criminal cases under the article on inciting racial, national, or religious hatred and enmity.
In total, five representatives of the union were detained under this article. In addition to Anzhelika Borys, these are Andrzej Poczobut, Maria Tyszkowska, Irena Bernatska, and Hanna Paniszewa.