Andrzej Poczobut has been named this year’s laureate of the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, awarded by the European Parliament. The journalist and activist representing the Polish minority in Belarus was sentenced to a penal colony for his criticism of the Lukashenko regime. Polish MEPs, who backed Poczobut’s candidacy almost unanimously, hope that the recent thaw in relations between Belarus and the United States may support efforts to secure his release. This year’s Sakharov Prize has also been awarded to Georgian journalist Mzia Amaglobeli, imprisoned by the authorities in Tbilisi.
“This year, we decided it was time to fight for Andrzej Poczobut — a journalist, an activist for the Polish minority in Belarus, a Pole by origin. In the European Parliament, we emphasised his commitment to the fight for free speech, free media and democracy in Belarus,” Małgorzata Gosiewska, MEP from Law and Justice (ECR Group), told Newseria. “He fought for Belarus to become a normal, democratic country and ultimately be able to join the European Union. He fought not for himself, but for Belarus, for democracy and for freedom in his homeland.”
Poczobut has been imprisoned since 2021. He spent 500 days in pre-trial detention, and in 2023 a court in Grodno sentenced him to eight years in a penal colony. On 15 March 2023, the European Parliament adopted a resolution demanding his immediate and unconditional release, stressing that the charges against him were politically motivated and aimed at suppressing freedom of expression and association.
“The fact that Andrzej Poczobut has received the Sakharov Prize will further internationalise the issue of the situation in Belarus. This does not work in Lukashenko’s favour, because when we speak about it, we speak the truth — about prisons, about torture, about human rights violations. And we also point to those responsible,” Gosiewska emphasises. “The crimes committed in Belarus will one day be punished. We are gathering evidence of these crimes and will submit them to the International Criminal Court in The Hague. Justice will be served.”
According to the Belarusian Association of Journalists, by the end of 2024, 45 journalists were imprisoned in Belarus — 13 more than in 2023. Repression against the media, opposition figures and society at large intensified after the mass peaceful protests that erupted in Minsk in 2020, following the falsified presidential election that gave Alexander Lukashenko his sixth term in office. The regime imprisoned all major pro-democratic activists, including Siarhei Tsikhanouski and Ales Bialiatski.
“In 2020, the Sakharov Prize was awarded to the Belarusian democratic opposition, which had a significant impact on the mood of Belarusians. Now, five years later, this honour goes to Andrzej Poczobut — our shared hero. It sends a message to political prisoners: ‘we have not forgotten you’. It also tells journalists that journalism is not a crime, and that one should not go to prison for doing their job. The award sends a message to dictators that the struggle of Belarusians is not forgotten: ‘we see your crimes and we will ensure you are held accountable’,” says Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the Belarusian opposition leader and wife of Siarhei Tsikhanouski, who was pardoned and released from prison in June along with other political detainees.
According to the Viasna Human Rights Centre, by the end of September this year, the number of political prisoners in Belarus had reached 1,197. The European Parliament notes a rise in arrests of participants in the 2020 protests as the authorities rush to file charges before the five-year statute of limitations expires.
“Our ultimate goal is to secure the release of Andrzej Poczobut from the penal colony, where he has already spent almost five years. This is our priority, and I know that Poland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs is holding talks and applying diplomatic pressure on Belarus,” says Łukasz Kohut, MEP from the Civic Coalition (European People’s Party). “His health is the most important. He should walk free and serve as a beacon of hope for the people of Belarus who speak about democracy. He is already a hero — but we do not want anything bad to happen to him.”
Several dozen political prisoners were recently released following talks between the United States and Belarus. On 11 September, Poland’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that among the 52 prisoners freed that day were three Polish citizens and eight Belarusians cooperating with Belsat TV and other Polish media. The ministry thanked American allies — including President Donald Trump — for months of efforts and successful negotiations.
“We are indeed seeing a diplomatic thaw between Belarus, the United States and the European Union. We hope that Andrzej Poczobut will be on the list of the next political prisoners released by Alexander Lukashenko,” Kohut adds. “For practically all opposition figures in Belarus, Poczobut is a symbol — a star shining on the Belarusian political scene. We are in contact with Ms. Tsikhanouskaya, who visits the European Parliament. The situation is complex, because Lukashenko’s regime closely observes who speaks with us and what we discuss. This is a difficult diplomatic game on many levels.”
“I want to underline — because it rarely happens — that in the case of Andrzej Poczobut, all Polish MEPs managed to come together. Everyone supported the promotional campaign. I am glad — and I consider it a small personal success — that we were able to speak with one voice beyond political divisions,” says Małgorzata Gosiewska.
The Sakharov Prize was also awarded this year to Georgian journalist Mzia Amaglobeli. She was arrested in January during anti-government protests and sentenced in August to two years in prison. In a June resolution, the European Parliament demanded her immediate and unconditional release, condemning the ruling Georgian Dream party’s repression of the political opposition, independent media and civil society.
Established in 1988, the Sakharov Prize is the European Parliament’s highest honour for individuals, groups or organisations defending human rights and freedom of thought.
