Nobel Peace Prize awarded to a lawyer from South Africa, former advocate of political prisoner Nelson Mandela
Today, the Nobel Committee announced the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. It has been awarded to Navanethem Pillay, a lawyer from the Republic of South Africa.
Photo: Eranga Jayawardena / AP
The prize was awarded for "her efforts to strengthen peace and international law".
Navi Pillay was born in 1941. By nationality, she is an Indian (Tamil) of South African origin.
In 1967, she became the first woman of "non-white" origin to open her own legal practice in the province of Natal. She defended anti-apartheid fighters, including Nelson Mandela, and exposed the authorities' use of torture and repression.
Navi Pillay became the first woman of "non-white" origin in the Supreme Court of South Africa, served as a judge of the International Criminal Court, and was president of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. From 2008-2014, she was the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
In 2025, Pillay led a UN commission that stated Israel had committed genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Yesterday, the Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to Canadian poet Anne Carson.
On Monday, the last Nobel laureate will be announced: the name of the winner in economics will be revealed.
The Nobel Prizes are awarded in December. All prizes, except the Nobel Peace Prize, are awarded in Stockholm. The recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize is honored in Oslo.