Navanethem "Navi" Pillay. Photo: Iнформатор
Pillay is a South African of Indian descent. Whilst practising law in her home country, she defended opponents of apartheid and spoke out against torture and repressive government measures. She later became the first Black woman to serve on the South African Supreme Court. From 2003 to 2008, Pillay served as a judge at the International Criminal Court. She then headed the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, and from 2008 to 2014 held the post of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
This year, 287 candidates were nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize: 208 individuals and 79 organisations, according to RBC. The Norwegian Nobel Committee does not disclose the names of the nominees. Information regarding nominations and deliberations on candidates remains confidential for 50 years.
In 2025, the prize was awarded to the Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado. The Committee highlighted her efforts to promote the democratic rights of Venezuelan citizens and her fight for a peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.
The decision drew criticism from the White House. US President Donald Trump had also been nominated for the prize but did not receive it. White House Communications Director Stephen Chung stated that the Nobel Committee ‘puts politics above peace’, adding that Trump would continue to conclude peace agreements and end wars.
In January 2026, Machado presented Trump with her Nobel Medal during a meeting at the White House. Following this, the Norwegian Nobel Committee emphasised that the transfer of the medal does not alter the laureate’s status: the prize cannot be revoked, shared or transferred to another person.
In 2024, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the Japanese organisation ‘Nihon Hidankyo’, which brings together survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Committee recognised its work towards a world free of nuclear weapons and its efforts to preserve eyewitness accounts of the consequences of the atomic bombings.
In 2023, the laureate was the Iranian human rights activist Nargiz Mohammadi. She was honoured for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran and her defence of human rights and freedom. At the time the decision was announced, she was in prison.
In 2022, the Nobel Peace Prize was jointly awarded to Belarusian human rights activist Ales Bialiatski, the Russian human rights organisation ‘Memorial’ and the Ukrainian Centre for Civil Liberties. The Committee recognised their contribution to the defence of human rights, democracy and peaceful coexistence.
In 2021, the Peace Prize was awarded to Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov and Filipino-American journalist Maria Ressa. They received the prize jointly for their efforts to defend freedom of expression.
It should be noted that the Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded since 1901. Unlike the other Nobel Prizes, it is awarded in Norway. The award ceremony takes place in Oslo on 10 December — the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death.
In 2026, the Nobel Prize will mark its 125th anniversary. To mark the anniversary, the Nobel Foundation has increased the monetary value of the prize by 1 million Swedish kronor (around $101,000), bringing it to 12 million kronor (around $1.2 million).
If the prize is awarded to several scientists, the sum is divided amongst them. No more than three laureates may share a single prize.
This story was translated with the assistance of artificial intelligence.The translation was also reviewed by the Logos Press editorial team.
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