An EU parliamentarian has celebrated the award of the Sakharov Prize to Mahsa Amini but warned “actions must follow our words” in support of human rights in Iran.

Hannah Neumann, a German member of the European Parliament, was speaking after the human rights prize was given to Iran’s Woman, Life, Freedom movement, and Amini, the protesting student who died in custody last year.

In a compelling statement, Neumann declared: "We have to make sure that human rights and political prisoners are a key priority for every meeting we have. We have to make sure that the nice words that we are going to exchange today, tomorrow, the week to come, are followed by concrete actions… We need assistance for civil society in Iran and the diaspora for capacity building to document the massive human rights violations."

She added in a tweet: “Now it is time to make sure that actions follow our words.”

Neumann has been a dedicated supporter of Iranian protesters, notably since the outset of demonstrations following the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody in 2022. The commitment was underscored in her recent address at the European Parliament. To accompany the Sakharov Prize ceremony, she shared a video of her speech on her X account.

The Sakharov Prize was awarded on Tuesday to Saleh Nikbakht, the lawyer representing Amini's family, who left Iran, along with Afsoon Najafi, the sister of Hadis Najafi, a victim of the protests, and Mersedeh Shahinkar, who sustained eye injuries during the demonstrations.

Neumann highlighted the fear of the Islamic Republic towards its "bravest and brightest" individuals, emphasizing that events in Iran should consistently command global attention. “The regime kills when the spotlight moves away,” she said, adding that the act of awarding such prestigious prizes helps to refocus the world's attention on Iran and its internal conflcts.