BEIRUT, Lebanon - The European Union announced Friday the creation of the "Samir Kassir Prize for Press Freedom," named after the anti-Syrian journalist and author who was killed in a Beirut car bomb blast on June 2.

"The goal of this prize is to perpetuate Samir Kassir's commitment by rewarding a report or series of reports relating to rights" in a member country of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership, the European Union said.

Two 10,000-euro (12,000-dollar) prizes are be awarded annually on the anniversary of Kassir's death, to two journalists: the first to a professional print, radio or television journalist and the second to a student under the age of 26.

"It is no longer acceptable today, in Lebanon and the rest of the world, that women and men can still be threatened with death when they engage in politics or propose another vision of the world," said the head of the EU mission to Lebanon, Patrick Renauld, who said the prize represented "words against barbarism."

Kassir was a well-known Lebanese journalist of Palestinian origin who wrote about Lebanese history and penned articles opposing Syria's presence in Lebanon, which ended in April after 29 years.

He was also the co-founder of the Democratic Left party and taught political science.

His death came as part of a wave of political assassinations and targeted attacks against anti-Syrian figures in Lebanon, including a February bomb blast that killed ex-premier Rafiq Hariri and a car bomb last month that seriously maimed May Chidiac, a Christian television television anchor.

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