Strasbourg, October 23, 2025 - The European Parliament has awarded its prestigious 2025 sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to Polish journalist andrzej Poczobut and Georgian civil society activist Mzia Amaglobeli, recognizing their unwavering commitment to human rights and democratic values in the face of political repression. The declaration was made at a formal plenary meeting in Strasbourg today, following a period of heightened concern over democratic backsliding in both Belarus and georgia.
poczobut, a long-time correspondent for Polish media in Belarus, has been detained since March 2021 on politically motivated charges. His imprisonment is widely seen as part of a broader crackdown on autonomous journalism and dissent by the Belarusian regime. The Parliament’s decision underscores its continued solidarity wiht Belarusian democratic forces, recently demonstrated by welcoming opposition leaders sergey Tihanovski and Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya on October 22, 2025, and adopting a resolution calling for continued support for those forces.
Mzia Amaglobeli is recognized for her tireless work defending human rights in Georgia,particularly in the face of increasing democratic decline and repression. In November 2024,the Parliament called on Georgia to hold new elections following contested results,and in July 2025,adopted a resolution criticizing the current government’s actions,which were deemed to jeopardize the country’s path towards EU membership. The resolution urged the EU and Member States to consider sanctions against key figures within the Georgian Dream party and called for a review of the Association Agreement between the EU and Georgia.
The Sakharov Prize, named after Soviet physicist and political dissident Andrei Sakharov, has been awarded annually by the European Parliament as 1988 to individuals and organizations defending human rights and fundamental freedoms. Previous laureates have often gone on to receive further international recognition,including the Nobel Peace Prize. Most recently, 2024 winner Maria Corina Machado of Venezuela was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2025, joining past recipients such as Nelson Mandela, Malala Yousafzai, and Ales Bialiatski.
A full list of Sakharov Prize laureates is available here.
