Former ICC judge Navi Pillay wins 2026 Nobel Peace Prize

Navi Pillay, a former judge at the International Criminal Court (ICC) and a former UN human rights chief, has been awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for her work in promoting peace and international law. The Norwegian Nobel Committee stated that the award was a message to those seeking to undermine international legal institutions, which are currently under significant pressure.

Pillay, 85, has a long career in international justice, having served on various international courts, including the ICC and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. She also chaired the UN Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which concluded last year that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza. Israel has dismissed this report as "scandalous" and strongly condemned Pillay's Nobel Prize win, with the Israeli ambassador to the UN in Geneva calling the decision "disgraceful" and an endorsement of antisemitism.

The Nobel Committee's citation did not directly mention specific political figures or nations but emphasized the global shift towards power politics at the expense of legal frameworks and respect for law. Pillay, upon receiving the news in Nuremberg, Germany, noted that her last act was delivering the report on Gaza, naming the events there as genocide. She humorously suggested she might share the prize with U.S. President Donald Trump, who has been critical of the ICC and has repeatedly stated he deserved the Nobel Peace Prize.

ICC President Tomoko Akane welcomed the award, stating its recognition of Pillay carries particular significance at a time of profound challenges to the international legal order. The US has previously imposed sanctions on ICC staff after the court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister.