A South African jurist and former International Criminal Court judge, Navi Pillay won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, the Norwegian Nobel Committee said.
The 2026 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Indian-origin Navanethem “Navi” Pillay for her efforts to promote peace and international law.
On October 9, Pillay was announced as the winner of the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of her efforts to advance peace and international law.
She was honoured for her instrumental role in ensuring the prosecution of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, according to the Norwegian Nobel Committee. “A common thread runs from her early work defending Nelson Mandela and others who stood up against apartheid to her service as a judge in some of the key international court cases of our time,” the committee said.
Actor Kamal Haasan has now reacted to the news and congratulated Navi Pillay. He wrote, “Some lives leave you deeply moved. Navi Pillay’s is one such life. From a family whose roots in South Africa began with her grandparents’ indentured labour, she rose to become a pioneering jurist who stood against apartheid and helped establish rape and systemic sexual violence as acts of genocide under international law.”
He said that he was deeply moved by Pillay’s journey and took to his X account to pen a note.
