Members of the Foreign Affairs and Development Committees of the European Parliament voted on Thursday for the three finalists for the 2025 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought (in alphabetical order):
-Imprisoned journalists fighting for your freedom and ours, Andrzej Poczobut from Belarus and Mzia Amaglobeli from Georgia
-Journalists and Humanitarian Aid Workers in Palestine and all conflict zones, represented by the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, the Red Crescent, and UNRWA ;
-Serbian students
Find the biographies of the candidates and finalists by following this link.
The Conference of Presidents, comprising European Parliament President Roberta Metsola and the leaders of the political groups, will choose the 2025 laureate from this shortlist. Their decision will be announced in the Strasbourg Hemicycle during the plenary session on 22 October 2025.
Each year the European Parliament awards the Sakharov Prize to honour exceptional individuals and organisations defending human rights and fundamental freedoms, safeguarding the rights of minorities, and fighting for respect of international law, democracy and rule of law. Nominations are made by political groups or by at least 40 MEPs. This year’s nominations were presented during a joint meeting of the foreign affairs and development committees, and the human rights subcommittee on 23 September 2025:
Andrzej Poczobut
Andrzej Poczobut is nominated by the groups of theEuropean People’s Party and the European Conservatives and Reformists. He is a journalist, essayist and blogger from the Polish minority in Belarus, known for his criticism of Alexander Lukashenko’s regime and has become a symbolic figure in the struggle for freedom and democracy in the country.
Poczobut has been repeatedly arrested by the authorities. Detained in 2021, he was sentenced to eight years in a penal colony. He has at times been held in solitary confinement without adequate medical treatment. His current condition is unknown and his family is denied any visits. Parliament has called for his immediate and unconditional release.
The Socialists and Democratsgroup has nominated journalists and humanitarian aid workers in conflict zones represented by the Palestinian Press Association, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS), and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). Gaza is identified as the world’s deadliest region for journalism, with a high number of Palestinian journalists killed. Humanitarian workers have also endured significant losses during the conflict, with deadly attacks affecting organisations such as World Central Kitchen, the PRCS and UNRWA. These individuals, through their work and sacrifices, ensure international awareness of the critical human rights situation in Gaza.
The Left group has also nominated journalists in Palestine, with a specific mention of Hamza and Wael Al-Dahdouh, Plestia Alaqad, Shireen Abu Akleh, Ain Media (in honour of Yasser Murtaja & Roshdi Sarraj), representing all the journalists active in Palestine.
Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal is nominated by the Patriots for Europe group. A former senior official in Algeria’s Ministry of Industry, he began writing novels after retiring. He has received several literary awards and is known for his criticism of Islamism and the Algerian government.
In November 2024, Sansal was arrested in Algeria for “undermining national unity” following an interview with French media. In March 2025, he was sentenced to five years in prison, despite health concerns and without his French lawyer present. The sentence was later upheld on appeal. The European Parliament and French National Assembly have both called for his immediate release.
The Renew Europe group has nominated the Serbian students who initiated nationwide protests after the collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad, Serbia, on 1 November 2024. This tragedy, which killed 16 people, was linked to alleged systemic corruption and infrastructural neglect. It triggered silent nationwide protests demanding accountability. The movement has transcended ideological and political divisions and now includes academic staff and students, farmers, artists, journalists, taxi drivers, engineers, and others. It culminated on 15 March 2025, when over 350,000 people gathered in Belgrade for the largest demonstration in Serbia’s post-Yugoslav history.
Budapest Pride
Budapest Pride has been nominated by the Greens/European Free Alliance group as well as by Marc Angel (S&D, Luxembourg), Kim van Sparrentak (Greens/EFA, Netherlands) and 43 other MEPs. Taking place despite a government-announced ban, 2025 Budapest Pride drew the largest attendance in the event’s history and became the seventh-largest Pride march in Europe. Despite the risks of potential police intervention, fines, and imprisonment, the march emphasised freedom of assembly and expression. By combining grassroots LGBTQ activism with support from established NGOs amid increasing government restrictions, the event has played a role in advocating for democratic values and civil liberties in Hungary.
Charlie Kirk, nominated by the Europe of Sovereign Nations group, was an American civic activist and public speaker, co-founder and CEO of Turning Point USA (TPUSA), founded in 2012 to engage students and young voters. Under his leadership, TPUSA played a significant role in youth political participation and debates on free speech on university campuses. On 10 September 2025, Charlie Kirk was shot dead during an outdoor event at Utah Valley University. The assassination has been widely condemned and highlights concerns over threats to freedom of expression.
Mzia Amaglobeli and Georgia’s pro-democracy protest movement have been nominated by Rasa Juknevičienė (EPP, Lithuania) and 60 other MEPs. Mzia Amaglobeli, a Georgian journalist and director of online media outlets, was detained in 2025 for participating in an anti-government protest and imprisoned for two years on politically motivated charges. The first female political prisoner in Georgia since its independence and a fighter for freedom of expression, she has become the symbol of Georgia’s pro-democracy protest movement that opposes the Georgian Dream regime after the October 2024 elections.
Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards 
