Announcing the laureates in the hemicycle on Wednesday, EP President Roberta Metsola said: “By awarding this year’s Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to Andrzej Poczobut from Belarus and Mzia Amaglobeli from Georgia, we honour two journalists whose courage shines as a beacon for all who refuse to be silenced. Both have paid a heavy price for speaking truth to power, becoming symbols of the struggle for freedom and democracy. The Parliament stands with them, and with all those who continue to demand freedom.”
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 writings on history and human rights, he has been arrested many times. Detained since 2021, he was sentenced to eight years in a penal colony. His health has since deteriorated but, despite not receiving the medical care he needs, he is still fighting for freedom and democracy. Poczobut’s current state of health is unknown and his family is not allowed to visit.
In a resolution adopted on 15 March 2023, Parliament called for the immediate and unconditional release of Andrzej Poczobut, stating that the charges against him were “politically motivated” and “aimed at silencing independent voices and suppressing freedom of expression and association”.
Mzia Amaglobeli, a Georgian journalist and director of online media outlets Batumelebi and Netgazeti, was arrested in January 2025 for joining anti-government protests in Georgia. In August, she was sentenced to two years in prison on political grounds. Georgia’s first female political prisoner since the country’s independence and a defender of freedom of expression, Amaglobeli has become the figurehead for Georgia’s pro-democracy protest movement, opposing the ruling ‘Georgian Dream’ party’s regime since the contested October 2024 elections.
In a resolution adopted on 19 June 2025, Parliament called for the immediate and unconditional release of Mzia Amaglobeli in Georgia, condemning “the Georgian Dream regime’s systemic attacks on democratic institutions, political opposition, independent media, civil society and the independence of the judiciary”.
Parliament stands with defenders of democracy and freedom of expression
Parliament is a staunch supporter of the democratic opposition in Belarus and awarded it the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought in 2020. In May 2024, President Roberta Metsola signed a letter of intent to strengthen cooperation between the European Parliament and democratic forces in Belarus. In a formal plenary sitting in Strasbourg on 22 October 2025, Parliament welcomed two prominent opposition leaders from Belarus, Sergey Tihanovski and Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, adopting a further resolution on the situation in Belarus on the same day.
On Georgia, in November 2024, Parliament called for the country to hold fresh elections following the contested ones held in October 2024. In July 2025, MEPs adopted a resolution deploring democratic backsliding and repression in Georgia, and stating that the current Georgian government was jeopardising the country’s EU accession path. They called on the EU and member states to impose bilateral and coordinated personal sanctions on key Georgian Dream officials. They also asked the European Commission to review the implementation of the EU-Georgia Association Agreement.
The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought
Named after Soviet physicist and political dissident Andrei Sakharov, the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought is the EU’s highest distinction in the field of human rights. Every year since 1988, Parliament has awarded it to individuals, groups or organisations in recognition of their work to defend human rights, freedom of expression and democratic values.
Several Sakharov Prize laureates have gone on to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Most recently, 2024 Sakharov Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado in Venezuela was awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize. Other examples include Nelson Mandela, Malala Yousafzai, Denis Mukwege, Nadia Mourad, Ales Bialiatski and Oleksandra Matviichuk.
To see the list of previous Sakharov Prize laureates, click here.
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