Newly announced 2026 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Navanethem "Navi" Pillay shared a lighthearted moment following news of her selection, jesting that she might share the award with US President Donald Trump if congratulations kept pouring in.
The 85-year-old South African judge and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights was attending an event in the historic Nuremberg Courtroom when colleagues delivered the news that she had been awarded the world's most prestigious peace prize. Reacting with initial skepticism, Pillay admitted she initially thought her colleague was joking and insisted that, as a lawyer and judge, she needed to verify the facts first.
Surrounded by cheering colleagues, Pillay laughingly quipped that she might have to share the honor with President Trump—referencing Trump's long-standing desire for a Nobel Peace Prize. Trump had previously expressed frustration over missing out on the prize, which was awarded to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado in 2025 before Machado presented her medal to Trump in January 2026. Pillay expressed deep appreciation for her colleagues' warm support while maintaining her legal instinct for verification.
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Reported by International Desk • Edited by the Daily Best News desk. Send corrections to [email protected].
