On 15 June 2026, in a joint meeting of the European Parliament's AFET, DROI, and DEVE committees, MEPs welcomed 2025 Sakharov Prize co-laureate Andrzej Poczobut, a Polish-Belarusian journalist freed after five years of imprisonment. Poczobut described Belarus as a totalitarian state with no free media, where the Polish minority faces repression—Polish-language education is banned and the Union of Poles is illegal. He stressed that his case reflects the broader situation of political prisoners, including co-laureate Mzia Amaglobeli still jailed in Georgia.
MEPs from across groups—Małgorzata Gosiewska (ECR), Helmut Brandstätter (Renew), Robert Biedroń (S&D), Andrzej Halicki (EPP), Mariusz Kamiński (ECR), Michał Dworczyk (ECR), Michał Kobosko (Renew), and Waldemar Tomaszewski (ECR)—praised his courage and resilience. Several questioned whether EU sanctions or dialogue with Lukashenko are effective. Poczobut declined to prescribe policy, saying politics should be judged by results: dialogue is worthwhile if it frees prisoners, but he noted that releases often coincide with new arrests. He confirmed he plans to return to Belarus in September for the Union of Poles assembly, citing responsibility to those who stayed. On optimism, he said no serious change is possible while the war in Ukraine continues, but he hopes for a window of opportunity after it ends. MEPs also raised concerns about Polish journalist Leszek Kraszkowski arrested in Poland, urging consistency in defending press freedom. The meeting concluded with Poczobut's closing remarks.