Andrzej Poczobut, a Polish-Belarusian journalist and political prisoner of the Lukashenko regime, has been nominated by the ECR as a candidate for the 2025 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought.
PiS MEP Małgorzata Gosiewska, who nominated Poczobut, said that this decision should reassure Belarusians that the European Union will not abandon them in their pursuit of democracy and freedom.
“Andrzej Poczobut is a hero who has never bowed to Lukashenko’s sinister regime. Despite the years he spent in prison, he never betrayed his convictions or his duty to speak out on behalf of all Belarusians who yearn for freedom and democracy,” said the chair of the Delegation for Relations with Belarus.
Andrzej Poczobut, who is currently halfway through an eight-year sentence of imprisonment and hard labor, was one of the leaders of the Union of Poles in Belarus.
“For years, he has been subjected to arbitrary arrests, detentions, searches, and confiscation of property, and yet he continues to resist pressure from the regime to admit guilt or request a pardon,” – said Gosiewska.
“Our nomination of this courageous and inspiring individual is a broader expression of our unwavering support for the democratic voices of the opposition in dictatorial Belarus,” emphasized the Polish politician.
