Journalist Walks Free, Gets Prize, Addresses Parliament—In That Order
In a heartwarming tale of “better late than never,” Belarusian journalist Andrzej Poczobut is finally getting to enjoy his 2025 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought—you know, after spending years in a penal colony for the minor offense of criticizing a dictator.
Poczobut, who made a career out of the apparently radical act of writing about history and human rights, found himself on the wrong side of the Lukashenka regime. Shocking, we know. After multiple arrests (because once just wasn’t enough), he was sentenced to eight years in prison in 2021. There, he enjoyed the five-star accommodations of solitary confinement and the luxury of deteriorating health without proper medical care.
But here’s where the story gets a plot twist: In April 2026, Belarus and Poland decided to play “let’s make a deal,” and Poczobut was released in a prisoner exchange. Suddenly, that Sakharov Prize awarded back in December 2025 became something he could actually show up to collect.
Now, the European Parliament is rolling out the red carpet. Tonight, MEPs from the Foreign Affairs, Development, and Human Rights committees are gathering in Strasbourg’s DE MADARIAGA room (fancy!) for an exchange of views with the man himself. Wednesday brings even more pomp: a formal address to the full Parliament at noon, preceded by a press point with EP President Roberta Metsola.
Poczobut shares his 2025 Sakharov Prize with Georgian journalist Mzia Amaglobeli, who remains imprisoned—a sobering reminder that not all these stories have happy endings yet.
The whole affair will be webstreamed, because nothing says “freedom of thought” quite like making sure everyone can watch democracy in action from their couch.