Andrzej Poczobut from Belarus and Mzia Amaglobeli from Georgia, the two journalists, imprisoned in Belarus and Georgia, are the laureates of the 2025 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, to be awarded by Parliament on 16 December.

Announcing the laureates in the hemicycle on Wednesday, EP President Roberta Metsola said: "By awarding this year’s Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to Andrzej Poczobut from Belarus and Mzia Amaglobeli from Georgia, we honour two journalists whose courage shines as a beacon for all who refuse to be silenced. Both have paid a heavy price for speaking truth to power, becoming symbols of the struggle for freedom and democracy. The Parliament stands with them, and with all those who continue to demand freedom.”

The other two finalists were: Journalists and Humanitarian Aid Workers in Palestine and all conflict zones, represented by the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, the Red Crescent, and UNRWA; Serbian students.

The award ceremony for the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, which includes an allocation of 50,000 euros, will take place on Tuesday 16 December 2025 in Strasbourg.

Awarded for the first time in 1988 to Nelson Mandela and Anatoli Marchenko, the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought is the highest tribute paid by the European Union to human rights work. It gives recognition to individuals, groups and organisations that have made an outstanding contribution to protecting freedom of thought. Through the prize and its associated network the EU assists laureates, who are supported and empowered in their efforts to defend their causes.