Belarus Journalists in detention honored with Sakharov Prize
Two imprisoned journalists have been honored with the European Parliament's Sakharov Prize. The award was presented in absentia to Andrzej Poczobut from Belarus and Msia Amaghlobeli from Georgia, as was shown during a broadcast of the award ceremony.
16.12.2025, 15:23
SDA
Both are in prison "only because they did their work", said EU Parliament President Roberta Metsola when the award winners were announced in October.
Prize winners in custody
Amaghlobeli is a journalist and director of several online media outlets. According to the EU Parliament, she was arrested in 2025 for her participation in a demonstration critical of the government and sentenced to two years in prison for political reasons. She has become a symbolic figure of the pro-democracy movement.
Poczobut is a journalist from the Polish minority in Belarus. As the EU Parliament writes, he is known for his criticism of the Belarusian government of Alexander Lukashenko. "He is considered a symbolic figure in the fight for freedom and democracy in the country", the Parliament said. Poczobut has been repeatedly arrested by the authorities and sentenced to eight years in a penal colony.
Prize with a long history
The Sakharov Prize has been awarded by the European Parliament since 1988 to individuals or organizations that are committed to defending human rights and freedom of expression. It is endowed with 50,000 euros. Last year, the prize went to Venezuela's opposition.
