Two journalists, imprisoned on opposite sides of the former Soviet Union, have been named the latest recipients of the Sakharov Prize, Europe’s most prestigious human rights award. The announcement, made on October 22, 2025, by European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, highlighted the ongoing struggles for press freedom and civil rights in Belarus and Georgia, and cast a spotlight on the personal toll paid by those who dare to speak truth to power.
Andrzej Poczobut, a veteran journalist and prominent leader of the Polish minority in Belarus, and Mzia Amaghlobeli, a pioneering investigative reporter and founder of two independent news outlets in Georgia, are both currently serving lengthy prison sentences. Neither will be able to attend the award ceremony scheduled for December in Strasbourg, France, where two empty chairs will stand in their place. The prize, which includes a 50,000 euro (about $58,000) endowment to be split between them, is a bittersweet recognition of their courage and sacrifice.
"Both are journalists currently in prison on trumped-up charges simply for doing their work and for speaking out against injustice. Their courage has made them symbols of the struggle for freedom and democracy," Metsola declared, according to Courthouse News. The Sakharov Prize, established in 1988 and named after Soviet physicist and dissident Andrei Sakharov, is the European Parliament’s highest tribute to individuals or groups defending human rights and basic freedoms.
Poczobut’s ordeal began in March 2021, when he was arrested in his hometown of Grodno, Belarus, following his coverage of the mass protests that erupted after the disputed 2020 presidential election. The election, which saw President Alexander Lukashenko claim a sixth term, sparked widespread demonstrations and a brutal crackdown that led to the arrest of more than 65,000 people and forced tens of thousands to flee the country. Poczobut, who reported for Poland’s Gazeta Wyborcza, was convicted in February 2023 on charges of “damaging national security” and sentenced to eight years in a maximum-security penal colony in Novopolotsk.
Despite suffering from a serious heart condition, hypertension, vision problems, and requiring surgery for skin ulcers, Poczobut has refused to plead guilty or seek a pardon from Lukashenko. According to the Viasna human rights group, he’s been repeatedly placed in solitary confinement and deprived of necessary medication. As of October 2025, he remains in solitary, having been held incommunicado for eight months, denied contact with his wife and children.
In a letter from prison, Poczobut wrote, “Freedom is not a place but is within a person.” His steadfastness has made him a symbol of resistance. Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, herself a previous Sakharov laureate, told the Associated Press that the award “recognizes the courage of true journalists and is a powerful gesture of solidarity with the people of Belarus and Georgia in their struggle for freedom and a European future.” She added, “The award is a clear signal to all dictators — journalists cannot be silenced.”
Andrei Bastunets, head of the Belarusian Association of Journalists, expressed hope that the recognition might help secure Poczobut’s release. “This award is very important to all 30 imprisoned Belarusian journalists who are sacrificing their lives for the opportunity to report the truth about the catastrophic situation in Belarus, which has become a black hole in Europe,” Bastunets said.
Georgia’s Mzia Amaghlobeli, meanwhile, has faced her own share of adversity. The founder and manager of Batumelebi and its companion publication Netgazeti, Amaghlobeli has spent 25 years investigating politics, corruption, and human rights abuses. She was arrested in January 2025 during anti-government protests in Tbilisi against a “foreign agents” law, which critics say mirrors Russian legislation used to stifle dissent. In August, she was convicted of slapping a police chief—an act she says was provoked when the officer spat at her and tried to attack her—and sentenced to two years in prison. Her lawyer argued she reacted emotionally after witnessing friends being arrested and being caught in a stampede.
Amaghlobeli is the first woman journalist imprisoned in Georgia since the country’s independence in 1991. Her trial and conviction have been widely condemned by international press freedom groups and 24 diplomatic missions, including the United States, as “disproportionate and politically motivated.” During her trial, Amaghlobeli urged the opposition to keep fighting, declaring, “You must never lose faith in your own capabilities. There is still time. The fight continues—until victory!”
Georgia has experienced widespread political unrest since last year’s parliamentary elections, with protesters and opposition parties alleging vote-rigging and Russian interference. The ruling Georgian Dream party, founded by billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, has faced mounting criticism for eroding democratic rights and pushing through laws that restrict free speech and LGBTQ+ rights. Eter Turadze, editor-in-chief of Batumelebi, described Amaghlobeli as “a symbol of the fight against injustice, and for freedom, dignity, and democratic values in Georgia.” Turadze added, “This acknowledgement strengthens our belief that we are not alone in this fight, and that the pursuit of justice knows no borders.”
Press freedom in both Belarus and Georgia has sharply declined in recent years. According to Reporters Without Borders, Belarus ranks 153rd out of 180 countries for press freedom, while Georgia has dropped to 73rd, down from 60th two years ago. Freedom House has labeled Belarus an authoritarian state where “elections are openly rigged and civil liberties are severely restricted.”
The Sakharov Prize is often compared to the Nobel Peace Prize for its impact on human rights advocacy. Past recipients include Nelson Mandela, Malala Yousafzai, and Nadia Murad. Last year’s winner, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, went on to win the Nobel Peace Prize this year, a testament to the award’s global significance.
This year’s Sakharov finalists also included journalists and humanitarian workers in Palestine and conflict zones, as well as Serbian students who led mass protests after a fatal railway station collapse. Ultimately, the selection of Poczobut and Amaghlobeli reflects the European Parliament’s commitment to defending press freedom and supporting those who risk everything to report the truth.
While the prize cannot erase the suffering or restore lost years, it sends a powerful message to autocrats and would-be censors: the world is watching, and the fight for justice and freedom will not be silenced. As the December ceremony approaches, the international community’s attention—and perhaps its pressure—will remain fixed on the fates of these two courageous journalists.
