28/09/2026
🇺🇸 Andrzej Poczobut, the 2026 Laureate of the Prize of the Platform, is currently in the United States — speaking about Belarus, the Polish minority and those who are still imprisoned for defending freedom.
But just a few days ago, he did something extraordinary.
After spending more than seven years in Belarusian prisons, Poczobut was finally released in April 2026.
He was free.
He could have stayed safely in Poland.
Instead, on 8 September, he crossed the border back into Belarus. 🇧🇾
He returned to Grodno — his hometown, his home, and the place where members of the Polish minority continue to live under pressure and repression.
He met with family, friends and members of the Union of Poles in Belarus. He visited places connected with Polish history and memory. And he did so knowing perfectly well that returning to Belarus could carry serious risks.
As Poczobut himself has said: “Everyone is afraid, but one should not let fear guide one's life.”
❤️🔥 This is more than a story about courage. It is a story about responsibility.
Poczobut spent years behind bars because he refused to abandon independent journalism, historical truth and the rights of the Polish minority in Belarus.
Freedom did not make him forget the people who remained behind.
And his recent return to Belarus made something else clear: he was not prepared to speak about Belarus only from a safe distance. He wanted to see, hear and experience what was happening there for himself — and to stand alongside the people who still need a voice.
A week later, he returned to Poland and travelled on to the United States and Canada, where he is now speaking with political leaders and representatives of the Belarusian and Polish diasporas. 🇺🇸🇵🇱
Only days ago, he also met with John Coale, the U.S. Special Envoy for Belarus, discussing the situation of the Polish minority, the Union of Poles in Belarus and political prisoners.
🏆 The Platform of European Memory and Conscience awarded Andrzej Poczobut the 2026 Prize of the Platform for his civic courage, commitment to independent journalism, defence of human rights and efforts to preserve historical truth.
His recent actions have given those words a particularly powerful meaning.
Freedom. Truth. Courage. Solidarity.
These are not abstract values.
For Andrzej Poczobut, they are choices he has made — and continues to make — at a very high personal cost.
👏 Andrzej Poczobut — Prize of the Platform 2026.