The EU parliament has awarded its annual human rights prize to Jina Mahsa Amini, who died in Iranian police custody in September last year after she was arrested for allegedly wearing her hijab headscarf improperly.

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said on Thursday that the 2023 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought also goes to the massive women-led protests sparked in Iran by Amini's death. Participants in the movement protested against the authorities under the slogan "Woman, Life, Freedom."

Metsola said the parliament "proudly stands with the brave and defiant who continue to fight for equality, dignity and freedom in Iran." She added that the parliament "continues to honour all those who have paid the ultimate price for liberty."

The European Parliament has given the prize each year since 1988 to individuals and organizations defending human rights and fundamental freedoms. The prize is named in honor of Soviet physicist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Andrei Sakharov.

Another Iranian woman, Narges Mohammadi, was named this year's winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Nobel Committee cited "her fight against the oppression of women in Iran and her fight to promote human rights and freedom for all." She is in prison.