Belarus, Georgia Journalists Win EU’s 2025 Sakharov Prize

For the European Union’s highest human rights award, the Sakharov Prize, started in 1988, Belarus’s Andrzej Poczobut and Georgia’s Mzia Amaghlobeli have been selected.

• The European Union has announced its highest human rights award for 2025, the Sakharov Prize, to two imprisoned journalists, Belarus’s Andrzej Poczobut and Georgia’s Mzia Amaghlobeli.

Andrzej Poczobut

• Prominent Belarusian journalist and human rights advocate.
• Belarus correspondent for a leading Polish newspaper, Gazeta Wyborcza.
• Consistently reporting in support of democratic movements and freedom of the press.
• Sentenced to 8 years in prison on false charges.

Mzia Amaghlobeli

• Prominent Georgian journalist and founder of independent media organizations.
• She founded two independent Georgian media outlets that provide truthful and unbiased news to the public.
• Mzia bravely reported against government repression and media censorship.
• In August 2025, she was sentenced to two years in prison for slapping a police chief during an anti-government protest.

About the Sakharov Prize

• Establishment: By the European Parliament in 1988.
• In memory of: Named after Soviet scientist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Andrei Sakharov.
• Special: This award is given to individuals or groups who have made exceptional contributions in defending human rights, freedom of expression, and democratic values.
• Amount: The prize carries a reward of 50,000 euros (approximately ₹4.5 million).
• Major winners: Previous winners include Nelson Mandela (South Africa), Malala Yousafzai (Pakistan), and Denis Mukwege (Congolese human rights activist).