Nobel Peace Prize to anti-Israel jurist from South Africa
The 2026 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Navi Pillay, a South African jurist who served as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The Norwegian Committee chose Pillay, known for her sharp criticism of Israel and her accusations of war crimes, against the backdrop of her struggle for human rights. The prize, worth 12 million Swedish kronor, was awarded at a ceremony in Oslo.
The 2026 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded today (Friday) in Oslo to Navi Pillay, a South African jurist. Pillay served as the fifth UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, as president of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, and as a judge at the International Criminal Court. The Norwegian Committee chose Pillay, known for her sharp criticism of the State of Israel and her accusations of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The value of this year's prize is 12 million Swedish kronor, about 1.2 million dollars. Among this year's candidates was also US President Donald Trump, who received a second consecutive nomination. Last year's winner, María Corina Machado, the opposition leader in Venezuela, won the prize last year. Nobel Prize week opened with the Medicine Prize, and continued with the Physics, Chemistry and Literature Prizes. The winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics will be announced next Monday.