Former International Criminal Court judge Navanesem “Nabi” Pillay was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for his work promoting peace and international law.
Jørgen Watne Fridnes, chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, said Pillay had contributed to ensuring the prosecution of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.
Pillay, who was born in Durban, South Africa, to a Tamil Indian family under apartheid, served as a judge on the High Court of South Africa, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, and the International Criminal Court.
She served as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2008 to 2014.
“Navi Pillay has been at the forefront of the development of international law for decades,” Fridnes said in announcing this year’s recipients.
“From her involvement in defending and supporting Nelson Mandela and the Robben Island prisoners to being a key figure in every major international tribunal of our time.”
Fridnes said the committee had not yet been able to contact the “courageous” Pillay to inform her of her award.
“My message to her is: ‘If you see a number from Norway, please answer,'” he told reporters from Oslo.
controversy
The prize is awarded annually to an individual or group who has “performed the most or the greatest work for the fraternity of nations,” in accordance with the will of Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel. The winners are selected by a committee selected by the Norwegian Parliament.
Last year’s recipient of the award was Venezuelan opposition leader Marina Colina Machado, who was recognized for her work promoting democratic rights in her country. Machado later presented the award to President Donald Trump for trying to influence Trump’s efforts to shape Venezuela’s future. The Norwegian Nobel Institute said the prize cannot be revoked, shared or transferred to another person.
Mr. Trump had been openly campaigning for the coveted award even before it was given to Mr. Machado, and on Wednesday he added another nomination for the award, claiming he had solved eight wars.
Earlier this year, President Trump linked his aggressive push to take control of Greenland to his being removed from the Nobel Peace Prize nomination.
Previous Peace Prize recipients include Japan’s anti-nuclear weapons group Nippon Hidankyo, Maria Ressa and Dmitri Andreevich Muratov for their work defending freedom of expression in the Philippines and Russia, and former U.S. President Barack Obama.
In 2026, the winner will receive 12 million Swedish crowns ($1.2 million).
