Of course, one could object that it is comparatively easy to show courage when you have nothing left to lose - for example twelve minutes before the end of your term of office.
But it is important and right that UN Human Rights Commissioner Michelle Bachelet published her report on Chinese oppression in Xinjiang.
Now the report is in, it bears the official stamp of the United Nations, and its statements are as clear as they can be under the circumstances.
China is taking targeted action against an ethnic group in the province.
Berlin demands the release of those imprisoned
Whether this is called "genocide," as some parliaments in Western countries have done, is not irrelevant.
What is more important, however, is that China can no longer credibly assert that everything is wonderful in Xinjiang.
What is more credible, in the words of the report, is what has been reported about the situation in the region from a wide variety of sources for years.
The United Nations has now delivered.
It is up to the Member States to draw conclusions from the report.
Germany has already demanded the release of all those imprisoned.
That's the least you can ask for.
How far the courage in Berlin and elsewhere will reach towards the economic partner China remains an exciting question.