Navi Pillay dedicates Nobel Prize to survivors of international crimes

South African judge and human rights lawyer, Navi Pillay, has reacted with surprise and humour to the news that she has won the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize.

Speaking in the German town of Nuremberg where she was attending a conference on international law and human rights, she laughed that “It must be a joke”.

It took place at the historic International Nuremberg Principles Academy in Courtroom 600 where the post-World War II Nuremburg trials took place.

"Firstly, at this venue, your applause means a great deal to me. You don't want to receive an award, prize or anything unless the public agrees that you deserve this,” she said.

Pillay only learned the news after the announcement because the Nobel committee was unable to reach her.

After being told she had won, she joked that she didn't quite believe the news was real, going on to joke: "If you clap a little bit more I may share this prize with Trump".

This appeared to reference a decision by last year's laureate, Maria Corina Machado, to give her Nobel medal to the US president to ​help gain support for her campaign for a democratic Venezuela.

Pillay went on to say she dedicates her award to “survivors of international crime, as well as to practitioners and defenders of international justice".

**“**I think it's very appropriate that I'm with friends and colleagues, all of whom support human rights. The last thing I did is the delivery of the report on Gaza, naming what's happening there as genocide,” she said.

Pillay called on people to stand together in the defence of the rule of law, ​independent courts, and an international legal order ⁠based on principle.

The 85-year-old judge is currently working on the International Court of Justice in the case where Myanmar stands accused of genocide.

"This worsening reality is particularly visible with the attacks on the International Criminal Court (ICC)," she continued.

Pillay added that she hoped her win would remind world leaders of their legal obligation to uphold human rights.

She warned that mounting political ⁠attacks on international law risked returning ⁠the world to a ​system ‌in which “power ‌rather than law ‌determines whose suffering matters”.

Reuters news agency is reporting that US President Donald Trump’s administration imposed sanctions on the ICC on Friday.

The announcement came hours after Pillay, who is one of its former judges won the Nobel Peace Prize.