Mzia Amaghlobeli Awarded Sakharov Prize
Mzia Amaghlobeli, a jailed Georgian journalist and founder of the Batumelebi and Netgazeti online media outlets, has been awarded the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, alongside Belarusian journalist Andrzej Poczobut.
The Sakharov Prize, the European Union’s top human rights award, has been granted annually since 1988 to dissidents, political leaders, journalists, lawyers, and civil society activists. The EU Parliament bestows the prize, which carries a EUR 50,000 endowment, at a formal plenary session in Strasbourg each year.
“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,” European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said as she announced the laureates on October 22.
“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,” she added.
Mzia Amaghlobeli was arrested in January after slapping police chief Irakli Dgebuadze during tense protest scenes in the western Georgian city of Batumi. She is serving a two-year prison sentence after being found guilty in August. Her conviction has drawn strong local and international condemnation and is widely viewed as politically motivated.
EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos has welcomed the European Parliament’s decision as an “excellent choice” for the 2025 Sakharov Prize, writing on X, “Strong leaders do not fear independent journalists. When journalists are silenced, repression and corruption thrive. We need more independent voices like Andrzej Poczobut and Mzia Amaglobeli.” She stressed, “They must be set free. Immediately.”
Georgia’s fifth president, Salome Zurabishvili, congratulated Amaghlobeli in an X post, saying, “This recognition honors not only her voice, but the spirit of a free and dignified Georgia – a nation determined to carry on its fight for a European future.”
Mzia Amaghlobeli has already received multiple awards, including the Free Media Award from Norway’s Fritt Ord Foundation and Germany’s Zeit-Stiftung. In early October, she also received the Forum 2000 International Award for Courage and Responsibility.
Also Read:
- 12/09/2025 – Mzia Amaghlobeli Among Sakharov Prize Nominees
- 07/08/2025 – EU Condemns Mzia Amaghlobeli’s Arrest, Calls to Release ‘Unjustly Detained’
- 19/06/2025 – European Parliament Demands Journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli’s ‘Immediate’ and ‘Unconditional’ Release
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