Overview
- Belarusian-Polish journalist Andrzej Poczobut and Georgian editor Msia Amaghlobeli were named laureates, with both currently imprisoned on what EU leaders call fabricated charges.
- Poczobut, a longtime critic of Alexander Lukashenko and correspondent for Gazeta Wyborcza, is serving an eight-year sentence with scant information about his health or access to family and counsel.
- Amaghlobeli, who leads independent outlets Batumelebi and Netgazeti, was detained in 2025 after anti-government protests and sentenced to two years, described by EU officials as Georgia’s first female political prisoner since independence.
- The €50,000 award will be presented in Strasbourg on 16 December, though the recipients are not expected to attend given their incarceration.
- The laureates were jointly nominated by the EPP and ECR groups, and analysts say the prize elevates international scrutiny and could offer a limited protective “shield,” though its practical impact remains uncertain.