Andrzej Poczobut, a Polish-Belarusian journalist and the 2025 Sakharov Prize laureate, has been freed from a Belarusian penal colony as part of a prisoner exchange between Poland and Belarus, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed on Tuesday.
Release Confirmed by Polish PM
Tusk posted a photograph of himself with Poczobut on social media, writing: “Andrzej Poczobut is free! Welcome to your Polish home, my friend.” The journalist was detained by Belarusian authorities in 2021 and later sentenced to eight years in a penal colony in a trial widely condemned as politically motivated to silence government critics. In recent years, concerns grew over his deteriorating health.
Sakharov Prize Recognition
The European Parliament awarded Poczobut the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought in 2025, alongside Georgian journalist Mzia Amaglobeli. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola hailed them as “two journalists whose courage shines as a beacon for all who refuse to be silenced.” She added, “Both have paid a heavy price for speaking truth to power, becoming symbols of the struggle for freedom and democracy.”
Prisoner Swap Details
Poczobut’s release reportedly occurred as part of a prisoner swap between Poland and Belarus, though specific details of the exchange have not yet been disclosed or confirmed by officials. The journalist was greeted by Tusk at the Poland-Belarus border following his release.
