PNN – Navi Pillay, the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, highlighted her recent report on Gaza, emphasizing that her final act before receiving the award was presenting a report that characterizes the events in the region as genocide.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network citing Reuters; Navi Pillay—a former judge at the International Criminal Court—was attending a legal conference in Nuremberg, Germany, when the news of her Nobel Peace Prize award was announced.
Addressing the audience, Pillay said: The last thing I did was present a report on Gaza that describes what is happening there as genocide.
In a humorous response to the audience’s applause, she remarked: If you applaud a little more, I might just share this prize with Trump. This comment appeared to allude to the action of María Corina Machado—the Venezuelan opposition leader and 2025 Nobel Peace Prize laureate—who presented her medal to Donald Trump in January.
Pillay, 85, was awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to promote peace and international law. Pointing to the mounting pressures on the international legal system, the Nobel Committee emphasized the necessity of safeguarding international institutions and the rule of law.
Pillay is receiving this award at a time when the International Criminal Court is facing criticism and sanctions from the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump has intensified pressure on the court following its issuance of arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the regime’s former defense minister; last month, he even called on nations to withdraw from the court.
In recognition of her track record, the Nobel Committee stated that throughout her career, Pillay has held governments and national leaders accountable and offered hope to victims of violence and conflict. She currently serves as a judge at the International Court of Justice and is involved in the genocide case against Myanmar.