The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded Friday to South African legal pioneer Navanethem “Navi” Pillay. to defend international law and institutions against attacks in a world where “might prevails over right”.
Pillay, 85, defended Nelson Mandela and spoke out against apartheid, served on international tribunals for conflicts in Rwanda, Myanmar and the Palestinian territories, and served as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
The price was intended Jørgen Watne Frydnes, president of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, said he wanted to make a broader case for what the Norwegian Nobel Committee described as a “global shift towards power politics”, which was occurring “at the expense of legal frameworks and global respect for law and justice”.
On the other hand, Pillay had “held states and national leaders accountable and brought hope to victims of violence and conflict”.
“Navi Pillay is one of the great defenders of international legal principles of our time,” Frydnes said, adding that the committee had not yet been able to reach her for comment.
“His distinguished career reminds us of the need to support, strengthen and expand the global rule of law,” he said. “Navi Pillay’s commitment to justice and human dignity is a source of hope and inspiration for all who seek to create a more peaceful world. »
Pillay was not among the frontrunners before the announcement, including Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of anti-Kremlin figure Alexei Navalny, Ugandan climate activist Vanessa Nakate and Mykola Kuleba, who founded an organization to rescue Ukrainian children kidnapped and forcibly deported by Russia.
President Donald Trump was among 287 candidates, according to the leaders of Israel, Pakistan and Cambodia, who said they had nominated him. But despite his long lust for the prize, Trump said this week that he didn’t think he would win.
“I don’t know what their decision will be,” Trump said in the Oval Office. “They have a reputation for not giving it to people like me.”
Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado presented Trump with her 2025 Nobel Peace Prize medal in January as she sought U.S. support for her efforts in Venezuela.
This is a developing story. Please check again for updates.
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