Jailed journalists, Serbian students and Palestinian aid workers shortlisted for the EP Sakharov Prize
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The European Parliament has announced the three finalists for the 2025 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, which recognises individuals and organisations that defend human rights, freedom of expression, and democracy. The winner will be revealed next Wednesday in Strasbourg.
This year’s finalists include imprisoned journalists Andrzej Poczobut from Belarus and Mzia Amaglobeli from Georgia, journalists and humanitarian workers in Palestine and other conflict zones, and Serbian students who led nationwide protests. Poczobut, a Polish-Belarusian journalist, and Amaglobeli, detained in 2025 for taking part in an anti-government protest, were nominated by the EPP and ECR groups.
The S&D group, backed by The Left, put forward the candidacy of journalists and aid workers in Palestine, represented by the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, the Red Crescent, and UNRWA, highlighting names such as Hamza and Wael Al-Dahdouh and Shireen Abu Akleh. Meanwhile, the Renew Europe group nominated Serbian students whose protests followed a fatal accident in Novi Sad in 2024.
Other nominations, including Budapest Pride, writer Boualem Sansa, and the late US activist Charlie Kirk, did not advance. MEP Marco Tarquinio praised the shortlisted candidates as embodying the “true spirit” of the Sakharov Priz resisting oppression without resorting to hate.
