Navi Pillay wins 2026 Nobel Peace Prize as Donald Trump attacks committee

Navi Pillay, an 85-year-old South African international jurist and former judge, has been awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for her decades-long work in human rights and international justice, detikNews reported on October 10, 2026. The announcement in Oslo triggered an angry reaction from United States President Donald Trump, who renewed his attacks on the Nobel Committee after failing to win the prize himself.

Navi Pillay Secures the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize

The Norwegian Nobel Committee selected Pillay for her central role in ensuring that war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide face prosecution, according to committee chairman Jorgen Watne Frydnes. Kontan noted that Pillay was born in Durban to a Tamil-Indian family and made history in 1967 as the first woman of color to open a law practice in Natal, where she defended anti-apartheid activists and successfully sued the South African government in 1973 to secure rights for prisoners on Robben Island, including Nelson Mandela, as detailed by Republika.

Throughout her judicial career, Pillay served on the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, where she presided over a landmark ruling establishing that sexual violence constitutes an act of genocide, per Republika’s reporting. She later served as a judge on the International Criminal Commission (ICC) from 2003 to 2012, held the post of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2008 to 2014, and led a UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry that concluded Israel committed genocide in Gaza, a finding strongly rejected by Israel as noted by Kontan and Kabarika.

Donald Trump Responds to the Nobel Committee Decision

Hours after the announcement, Donald Trump blasted the decision during a Republican campaign rally in Syracuse, New York, on October 9, 2026, claiming the prize had lost its credibility. DetikNews reported that Trump dismissed Pillay as a mysterious figure, stating I never heard about that person. Nobody knows them. Trump asserted that the Nobel Peace Prize should have instead been awarded to the United States as represented by his presidency.

Trump labeled the selection of Pillay an indelible stain on Norway and accused the Nobel Committee of being radical ideologues, while claiming credit for preventing various international conflicts without providing supporting evidence. Kompas.com and Kontan pointed out that the Nobel announcement coincided with ongoing tensions between Washington and international courts, following U.S. sanctions against ICC prosecutors and judges after the court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a former defense minister.

Reactions and Deliveries From Nuremberg

Upon receiving the news while attending a conference in Nuremberg, Germany—the historic site of the post-World War II Nazi war crimes trials—Pillay expressed surprise and humor regarding the political backlash. Kabarika and Republika reported that Pillay reacted with laughter, remarking in a video shared on social media by Amnesty International Secretary-General Agnes Callamard that If you applaud a little bit more loudly, I might share this prize with Trump.

Pillay dedicated the honor to survivors of international crimes and urged global leaders to protect human rights. Kontan noted that the Nobel Peace Prize carries a cash award of 12 juta krona Swedia atau sekitar US$ 1,2 juta, and is scheduled for official presentation in Oslo on December 10, 2026, following a precedent set in 2025 when previous recipient Maria Corina Machado symbolically handed her medal to Trump after U.S. interventions in Venezuela.

More on this story: Navi Pillay Wins 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for Peace and Law, dw.com Reports