Who is Navanethem Pillay? South African jurist of Indian-origin awarded Nobel Peace Prize

Navanethem “Navi” Pillay, a South African jurist of Indian Tamil origin, has been awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to promote peace and international law. Her recognition honours a career spanning decades in which she challenged racial discrimination, defended human rights and helped strengthen international legal institutions.Born into a Tamil family in Durban under South Africa’s apartheid regime, Pillay experienced racial discrimination first-hand before becoming a lawyer who defended anti-apartheid activists. Her work subsequently took her to some of the world's most important judicial institutions, including the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the United Nations.The Norwegian Nobel Committee highlighted her commitment to universal legal principles and her firm moral compass. Pillay played a significant role in landmark international legal proceedings, particularly in establishing that rape and sexual violence could constitute acts of genocide.