Polish-Belarusian journalist Andrzej Poczobut – currently held in prison for political reasons – has been nominated for the EU’s Sakharov Prize to be announced on 16 December. We asked his peer, journalist Andrei Bastunets, for his testimony on Andrezj’s detention and the current situation in Belarus. Andrei Bastunets received the EaP CSF Civil Society Award in 2023 for his organisation’s resolute commitment to independent journalism in Belarus, integrity in the defence of media freedom, democracy, and human rights even while faced with the harshest of oppressions.
What is it to be an independent journalist in Belarus today? Could you describe the current situation for the few independent voices still operating inside the country and detail the extreme circumstances, including the “extremist” labeling, that the independent media sector faces from the Lukashenka regime?
Andrei Bastunets: “The situation of journalists and the state of freedom of expression in Belarus is tragic. In the 2025 Press Freedom Index, Belarus ranks 166th out of 180 countries.
Despite the fact that several journalists were released ‘under a pardon’ (and in fact deported from Belarus without documents), as of mid-October 2025, we still count 28 media professionals currently being held in custody in Belarus.
Many of them have been sentenced to incredible terms of imprisonment ranging from as little as 8, 13, 14, 15 years and more simply for carrying out their professional duties. The Belarusian authorities equate journalism with charges such as extremist activity, organising mass riots or treason.
Most independent media outlets and media organisations, including the Belarusian Association of Journalists, are recognised as extremist groups. People can be prosecuted for collaborating with them – even for reposting their materials and liking their posts! This includes journalists, experts, interviewees or subscribers to their materials.
Journalists who have emigrated cannot feel safe either: their property in Belarus is seized, their relatives inside the country are subjected to pressure, and the journalists themselves are sentenced in absentia. In 2024 alone, 15 journalists were sentenced to imprisonment in Belarus, 5 of them in absentia”.
Andrzej Poczobut is serving an 8-year sentence for political reasons, having refused to ask for a pardon. Why is it critically important that he receives the Sakharov Prize specifically right now? What message would that send to the authorities in Belarus, and, more importantly, to the supporters of a Democratic Belarus?
“Andrzej Poczobut faced criminal prosecution in the early 2000s. Criminal cases were brought against him twice for ‘defamation of the president’ and ‘insulting the president’.
Despite this, and despite constant pressure from the KGB, Andrzej continued to work as a journalist for Belarusian publications and for the Polish Gazeta Wyborcza. He also worked as an activist for the Union of Poles in Belarus, which was persecuted by the Belarusian authorities.
In March 2021, he was detained again and in February 2022 sentenced to 8 years of imprisonment for ‘calls for actions aimed at harming the national security of the Republic of Belarus’ and for ‘inciting enmity or discord’ (Articles 361 and 130 of the Criminal Code).
Unfortunately, despite Poland’s efforts, he is still being held in conditions that can be likened to torture. According to information obtained by the Belarusian Association of Journalists last August, Andrzej Poczobut was transferred for six months to a cell-type facility (‘a prison within a prison’), where he is not allowed to see his relatives, there are long delays in the delivery of letters, and his health problems have worsened.
The majority of Belarusian independent media operating in exile are highly reliant on donor funding. Beyond the recognition of the Sakharov Prize, what concrete, sustainable actions could the international community take to better support independent Belarusian media and ensure their long-term viability as a reliable source of information for Belarusians and everyone else outside Belarus?
“For me, Andrzej is a symbol of courage, fortitude and professionalism. He absolutely deserves the Sakharov Prize. Moreover, awarding it to him could help secure his early release.
One more thing. It is extremely important for us that in this difficult period of international conflicts (including military ones) – and in this mad, mad, mad world – that we do not forget about Belarus, about the hundreds of political prisoners, about the Belarusian media and journalists who continue to work for the Belarusian audience and fulfil their mission”.
Andrzej Poczobut has been nominated for the 2025 Sakharov Prize. You can find out more about the Sakharov Prize process here. You can read about Andrezj on the website of the Belarusian Association of Journalists here.
Andrei Bastunets was the 2023 EaP CSF Civil Society Awardee. Read more about the Award here.
