U.S. ​President Donald Trump reiterated his complaints on ‌Friday (October 9, 2026) about not receiving the Nobel ​Peace Prize, calling it ⁠a disgraceful and embarrassing decision that had left a stain on Norway, which hosts the ‌Nobel committee.

Mr. Trump unleashed on Norway hours after the committee awarded this ‌year’s prize to Navi ‌Pillay, ⁠a former International Criminal Court judge ⁠who oversaw a UN report that concluded Israel committed genocide in Gaza.

Mr. Trump called Ms. Pillay a “mystery ​person” during a ‌campaign rally in Syracuse, New York. “I never heard of the person. Nobody did.”

Each year of his presidency, Mr. Trump ‌has expressed disappointment at his failure ​to win the prize.

“This is an indelible stain on ⁠the country of Norway and those people that made such a disgraceful and ‌embarrassing decision,” Mr. Trump said.

He listed a number of conflicts that he claimed a role in resolving and said he has helped prevent wars from breaking out between North and South ‌Korea, Japan and North Korea, and ​China and Taiwan, without providing evidence.

“The Nobel Peace Prize has been ⁠forever discredited by a handful of radical ⁠ideologues who are anti-democracy and really enemies of civilization. And we ‌will not forget, Norway,” he said.

Congratulatory messages have poured in from across the world for Navanethem “Navi” Pillay, the former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights of Tamil and South African heritage, who won the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday (October 9, 2026). The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced the decision to award the Nobel Peace Prize to Ms. Pillay, noting that she has been “instrumental in ensuring that war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide are prosecuted.”

In an impromptu speech at the Nuremberg Tribunal, where she was informed of the prize, Ms. Pillay thanked her colleagues who supported her work through the years. Later, at a press conference, she said, “I am deeply honoured and grateful to have been awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize. Let me dedicate this award to all the survivors of international crimes, as well as to practitioners and defenders of international justice, whose compassion and courage continue to ensure that impunity will not be allowed to reign.” Ms. Pillay, 85, noted increasing attacks on the international justice system and called for accountability for crimes against humanity.

Ms. Pillay noted her journey as a lawyer in the High Court of South Africa, where she campaigned against apartheid-era discrimination, her work for justice in the Rwandan genocide of 1994, and her most recent work at the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem and Israel. She said she has always tried to “advance and protect the dignity of every human being.”

In its announcement, the Norwegian Nobel Peace Prize Committee said, “The Nobel Peace Prize for 2026 goes to a person who, with exceptional courage and integrity, has led the way toward a more comprehensive global legal order. This year’s laureate has been instrumental in ensuring that war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide are prosecuted.” The Nobel Prize Committee noted that Ms. Pillay, who was born into a family of Indian Tamil origin in apartheid-era Durban, South Africa, became a “legal pioneer” who confronted “deep structural discrimination, segregation, and exclusion.”

“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,” said the Nobel committee in the announcement.

In a message, Agnes Calamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International, said, “There is no better choice than Navi Pillay.”

“She has headed the commission of inquiry which found that Israel committed the crime of genocide at the time when many States are trying to defend and protect Israel’s actions. She has defended human rights, at a time when States are seeking to hollow out their rights commitments,” said Ms. Calamard, praising the Norwegian Nobel Committee’s decision to award the Nobel Peace Prize to Ms. Pillay.

“It’s a well-deserved tribute not just for Navi Pillay but also for the international rule of law and for all the  UN-related institutions that she has been associated with, because this award is not just for the individual but also for the institutions and the ideals that the UN and its affiliated institutions represent,” said Kamal Malhotra, Head of the United Nations in Malaysia, Vietnam and Turkey (2008-2021).

Navanethem ‘Navi’ Pillay, a South African jurist of Indian origin and a former ICC judge, ‌won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday (October 9, 2026) “for her efforts to promote peace and international law”.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee praised the 85-year-old Justice Pillay’s commitment to universal legal principles and said she had held states and national leaders accountable while bringing hope to victims of violence and conflict. The Committee described her as one of the most respected international jurists of her time.

Here are five facts about the 2026 Nobel peace prize winner Navanethem ‘Navi’ Pillay

1. Navanethem ‘Navi’ Pillay: South African jurist of Tamil descent

Navanethem ‘Navi’ Pillay was born on September 23, 1941, in apartheid-era South Africa to Indian parents of Tamil descent. Justice Pillay grew up under apartheid and went on to build a career challenging racial discrimination, defending anti-apartheid activists and advancing human rights and equality.

As per a PTI report, which cited a biographical profile published by the Institute for African Women in Law, Justice Pillay’s father was a bus driver who worked multiple jobs to support the family, while her mother looked after their eight children. Despite financial hardship, her parents placed a strong emphasis on education and ensured that their daughters, like their sons, should be educated.

2. First non-white woman judge of South Africa’s High Court

Justice Pillay received her BA and LLB degrees from the University of Natal. In later years, she also earned a Master of Law and a doctorate from Harvard University. In 1967, Justice Pillay became the first woman to start a law practice in Natal, her home province. She is also the first non-white woman to serve on South Africa’s High Court.

Her early years saw her defending anti-apartheid activists and advocating for prisoners’ rights. In 1973, she helped secure the right of political prisoners to access legal counsel and basic amenities, for prisoners on Robben Island in 1973.

3. ICC judge, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

Her career later took her to the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. In 2003, Justice Pillay was appointed as a judge on the International Criminal Court (ICC) in Hague, where she served until August 2008. She became the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and served a six-year term, from 2008 until 2014.

Justice Pillay is a judge on the International Court of Justice in the case where Myanmar stands accused of genocide.

4. Led UN Commission of Inquiry on Palestine

Justice Pillay also chaired the the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which was established by the UN Human Rights Council in 2021. In September 2025, the Commission concluded that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. Israel dismissed the report as “scandalous”.

5. Stood up for women’s rights

Justice Pillay has worked for the rights of women and children, and victims of domestic violence. As a member of the Women’s National Coalition, she contributed to the cause of gender equality in South Africa. She pushed for the inclusion of the clause prohibiting discrimination on the grounds of race, religious, sex or sexual orientation in the country’s constitution.

Alongside Jessica Neuwirth and Feryal Gharahi, she also co-founded Equality Now in 1992, which works to advance women’s legal rights and challenge discriminatory laws and practices.

The Nobel Peace Prize, worth about $1.2 million, is due to be presented in Oslo on December 10.