Ethnic Polish journalist Andrzej Poczobut imprisoned in Belarus awarded EU human rights prize

Andrzej Poczobut, a journalist and leader of the Polish minority in Belarus who has been imprisoned since 2021, has been awarded the Sakharov Prize, the EU’s highest award in the field of human rights, alongside Mzia Amaglobeli, a journalist imprisoned in Georgia.

“We honour two journalists whose courage shines as a beacon for all who refuse to be silenced,” declared European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, who was joined in announcing the prize by exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.

“Both have paid a heavy price for speaking truth to power, becoming symbols of the struggle for freedom and democracy,” Metsola added. “The parliament stands with them, and with all those who continue to demand freedom.”

Tsikhanouskaya declared that Poczobut is “not only a journalist, he is a symbol of truth and courage”. She said that the award “sends a powerful message – to dictators, that truth cannot be imprisoned, and to political prisoners, that they are not forgotten”.

Poczobut was detained in 2021 along with other leading figures in Belarus’s large ethnic-Polish community. He was held in pretrial detention for 460 days before being sentenced in 2023 to eight years in a penal colony for “inciting hatred” and “the rehabilitation of Nazism”.

The allegations against Poczobut are widely regarded as politically motivated and have been condemned by Poland, the European Union and a range of human rights groups. The poor conditions in which he is being held, which have contributed to Poczobut’s declining health, have also been criticised.

In awarding him the Sakharov Prize, the European Parliament noted that Poczobut is “known for his outspoken criticism of the regime” of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

“His health has deteriorated but, despite not receiving the medical care he needs, he is still fighting for freedom and democracy,” they added, noting that “Poczobut’s current state of health is unknown and his family is not allowed to visit”.

Amaglobeli was arrested in January this year after joining protests against the government. In August, she was sentenced to two years in prison for slapping a police officer. Her treatment has also been widely condemned by human rights groups.

Named after Soviet physicist and dissident human rights activist Andrei Sakharov, the EU prize is awarded annually to individuals, groups and organisations who have worked to defend human rights, freedom of expression and democratic values.