The Palm Foundation is relieved about the release of Maryna Zolatava, the 2024 Palm Prize laureate. The former editor-in-chief of the independent news portal tut.by was released from detention on 13 December 2025 together with 122 other political prisoners.
When we awarded her the Johann Philipp Palm Prize for Freedom of Speech and the Press in 2024, her husband, Wasil Kishkourna, accepted the award on her behalf—because Maryna Zolatava was in detention at the time.
As much as we welcome this news, many people in Belarus remain imprisoned for political reasons. Human rights organisations speak of more than a thousand affected individuals. Today, joy outweighs everything else—and at the same time we hope for further releases. The Johann Philipp Palm Prize stands for freedom of speech and freedom of the press, and for the people who take personal risks to defend them.