Judge Pillay’s Nobel honours rights movement — Bertrand Ramcharan — Opinion

Judge Pillay’s Nobel honours rights movement

October 10, 2026·2 min read

Dear Editor,

Please allow me, through the good offices of Kiskadee Watch, to congratulate Judge Navi Pillay, former international judge and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights^[1] – and my friend – on her richly deserved award of the Nobel Peace Prize.

The current Secretary-General of Amnesty International, the current UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and human rights defenders worldwide have reacted with emotion – an emotion I share – at this award. In a way, they consider that, through Judge Pillay, the award honours the entire human rights movement.

Defending human rights against arbitrary power is a courageous, lonely, and dangerous business. I have seen this ever since I was recruited into the UN human rights office in 1973 – half a century ago. I have seen the anguish and the tears of the victims coming to the United Nations – including from Guyana.

Amnesty International at one stage received the Nobel Peace Prize for its work to promote and protect human rights.^[2] The United Nations, its Secretary-General, the Office of UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and the International Labour Organization have on different occasions previously received the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts in their respective domains.

Judge Pillay’s award honours all those struggling for the universal protection of human rights, for justice, and for the rule of law. It honours the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice^[3]. That is a cause for deep respect.

As I write this, please let me acknowledge, and salute, the efforts of the human rights movement in Guyana. Over the past half century, the human rights movement in Guyana has stood up courageously to oppression, arbitrariness, and victimization under different governments. Adherents of the Guyanese human rights movement continue to strive for justice under the rule of law to this day. The award of the Nobel Peace Prize to a respected international human rights leader, a female judge and former High Commissioner hailing from South Africa, will warm their hearts.

During the period that I performed the functions of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, I visited the prison cell of Nelson Mandela on Robben Island twice.^[4] I had occasion to interact with the great Madiba shortly after he came out of prison. It is with particular satisfaction that I salute a distinguished daughter of South Africa on this richly-deserved award of the Nobel Peace Prize to her.

The struggle for human rights continues.

Yours faithfully,
Bertrand Ramcharan

References

Former ICC judge Navi Pillay wins 2026 Nobel Peace Prize | Virakesari.lk — www.virakesari.lk ↩
Nobel Peace Prize Honors Navi Pillay for Lifelong Commitment to Human Rights, Justice and Accountability | Amnesty International USA — www.amnestyusa.org ↩
Pending cases | INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE — www.icj-cij.org ↩
Idris Elba details how he spent a night in South African prison to ready for Nelson Mandela role | The Independent — www.independent.co.uk ↩

Former ICC judge Navi Pillay wins 2026 Nobel Peace Prize | Virakesari.lk

www.virakesari.lk · 2026-10-10

Former ICC judge Navi Pillay wins 2026 Nobel Peace Prize | Virakesari.lk #### Former ICC judge Navi Pillay wins 2026 Nobel Peace Prize Published By: Digital Desk 2 ##### 10 Oct, 2026 | 09:37 AM OSLO, (Reuters) - Navi Pillay, a former ICC judge who oversaw a UN report that concluded that Israel committed genocide in Gaza, won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday "for her efforts to promote peace and international law". This year's Nobel Peace Prize underlined the importance of maintaining an organised international order, the committee said in its citation. "We see a shift towards power politics at the expense of legal frameworks and global respect for law and justice. Whenever might overtakes right, it undermines stability, trust and peaceful co-existence." Born in Durban, in South Africa's Natal province, in a family of Indian Tamil origin, Navi Pillay, 85, has been a judge on several international courts, including the International Criminal Court and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. She was also chair of the UN Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory that concluded last year that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. Israel dismissed the report as "scandalous". She has also served as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. In 1967 she became the first woman to start a law practice in Natal and the first non-white woman to serve on South Africa's High Court. HEADLINE: Red alert for severe lightning in 17 districts The Department of Meteorology has issued an amber advisory for severe lightning, warning of thunderstorms and possible temporary localized strong winds across several provinces and districts until 1 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10. The 17 districts identified for a red alert are Mannar, Anuradhapura, Puttalam, Kurunegala, Matale, Kandy, Kegalle, Gampaha, Colombo, Nuwara Eliya, Badulla, Kalutara, Ratnapura, Monaragala, Galle, Matara and Hambantota. The department has urged the public to take precautions to minimize the risk of lightning-related damage and injury. People are advised to seek shelter indoors and avoid standing under trees during thunderstorms. They should also stay away from open areas, including paddy fields and tea plantations, and avoid open water bodies. The public is further advised to avoid using wired telephones and electrical appliances connected to power sources during thunderstorms, as well as open vehicles such as bicycles, tractors and boats.

Source

Judge Pillay’s Nobel honours rights movement in Kiskadee Watch, October 10, 2026

Nobel Peace Prize Honors Navi Pillay for Lifelong Commitment to Human Rights, Justice and Accountability | Amnesty International USA

www.amnestyusa.org · 2026-10-09

# Nobel Peace Prize Honors Navi Pillay for Lifelong Commitment to Human Rights, Justice and Accountability | Amnesty International USA Published: 2026-10-09T16:50:02Z Source: amnestyusa.org Language: en ## Story Nobel Peace Prize Honors Navi Pillay for Lifelong Commitment to Human Rights, Justice and Accountability | Amnesty International USA # Nobel Peace Prize Honors Navi Pillay for Lifelong Commitment to Human Rights, Justice and Accountability October 9, 2026 (Frank BOXLER / AFP via Getty Images) Reacting to the news that South African international jurist and human rights defender Navi Pillay has been awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, Agnes Callamard said: “We pay tribute to Navi Pillay whose commitment to international law, unwavering independence and guiding moral light have made her one of the most respected human rights figures of our time. Not only does this award honor an extraordinary individual, it also comes at a time when everything Navi Pillay stands for is coming under increasing attack, as powerful states attempt to hollow out the rule of law and jettison fundamental international rules and norms. “This award is recognition that international justice is the cornerstone of any lasting peace in the world. As the International Criminal Court (ICC) comes under renewed attack with further sanctions imposed by the United States today, this award should remind world leaders of the vital role that the ICC and other international criminal tribunals have to play in seeking justice, truth and reparation for crimes under international law and human rights violations that are being perpetrated every day from Palestine to Sudan, Myanmar to Ukraine. “From her early days as a young lawyer fighting apartheid in South Africa, Navi Pillay showed a courage and humanity that should inspire us all. Her life’s work has been a powerful challenge to impunity for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide — most recently while leading the landmark UN inquiry that found Israel responsible for genocide in Gaza. “Navi Pillay’s richly deserved award is a collective win for those on the frontlines in the fight for human rights, who continue speaking out and standing up for justice, accountability and the rule of law.” Background Navi Pillay started her career as a defense lawyer for anti-apartheid activists and was the first woman to open a law firm in what was then known as the Natal province in 1967. She went on to be appointed an acting judge in the High Court in South Africa in 1995 and in the same year was elected by the UN General Assembly to be a judge on the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, where she served for eight years as president. She also served as an International Criminal Court judge from 2003 to 2008. In 2008, Navi Pillay was appointed as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. In 2021, she was appointed chair of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory. She oversaw the UN report which found that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza. Contact: media@aiusa.org

Pending cases | INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE

www.icj-cij.org

Pending cases | INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE ### Currently being heard or under deliberation 1. Arbitral Award of 3 October 1899 (Guyana v. Venezuela) 2. Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (The Gambia v. Myanmar: 11 States intervening) 3. Alleged Breaches of Certain International Obligations in respect of the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Nicaragua v. Germany) ### Pending cases 1. Gabčíkovo-Nagymaros Project (Hungary/Slovakia) 2. Certain Iranian Assets (Islamic Republic of Iran v. United States of America) 3. Alleged Violations of the 1955 Treaty of Amity, Economic Relations, and Consular Rights (Islamic Republic of Iran v. United States of America) 4. Relocation of the United States Embassy to Jerusalem (Palestine v. United States of America) 5. Guatemala's Territorial, Insular and Maritime Claim (Guatemala/Belize) 6. Application of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Armenia v. Azerbaijan) 7. Application of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Azerbaijan v. Armenia) 8. Allegations of Genocide under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Ukraine v. Russian Federation) 9. Questions of jurisdictional immunities of the State and measures of constraint against State-owned property (Germany v. Italy) 10. Request relating to the Return of Property Confiscated in Criminal Proceedings (Equatorial Guinea v. France) 11. Sovereignty over the Sapodilla Cayes/Cayos Zapotillos (Belize v. Honduras: Guatemala intervening) 12. Application of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (Canada and Netherlands v. Syrian Arab Republic) 13. Alleged Violations of State Immunities (Islamic Republic of Iran v. Canada) 14. Aerial Incident of 8 January 2020 (Canada, Sweden, Ukraine and United Kingdom v. Islamic Republic of Iran) 15. Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel) 16. Embassy of Mexico in Quito (Mexico v. Ecuador) 17. Glas Espinel (Ecuador v. Mexico) 18. Appeal relating to the Jurisdiction of the ICAO Council under Article 84 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Islamic Republic of Iran v. Canada, Sweden, Ukraine and United Kingdom) 19. Alleged Smuggling of Migrants (Lithuania v. Belarus) 20. Appeal from the ICAO Council Decision dated 30 June 2025 (Russian Federation v. Australia and Netherlands) 21. Alleged Violations of Human Rights by Rwanda on the Territory of the Congo (Democratic Republic of the Congo v. Rwanda)

Idris Elba details how he spent a night in South African prison to ready for Nelson Mandela role | The Independent

www.independent.co.uk · 2025-01-27

Idris Elba details how he spent a night in South African prison to ready for Nelson Mandela role | The Independent # Idris Elba details how he spent a night in a South African prison to ready for Nelson Mandela role The actor was the lead in the 2013 biopic about Nelson Mandela’s 27 years in prison Amber Raiken in New York Monday 27 January 2025 04:31 GMT Close Related: Idris Elba hates coordinating couples’ outfits Idris Elba has opened up about spending a night in prison to prepare for his role as Nelson Mandela in the 2013 film, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom. During a recent interview with The Sunday Times, the 52-year-old actor detailed the extremes he went to while working on the biopic, which documents Mandela’s 27 years in prison in South Africa. Elba said that before filming started, he “spent the night” in a prison cell on Robben Island, which is the same prison Mandela was in from 1964 to 1982. “I’d been given the incredible honour to portray this great man and up until that night, I hadn’t quite grasped the significance of having over 20 years of life stolen from him,” he told the publication. “I had to persuade the authorities to let me stay there, and they finally agreed.” He went on to acknowledge that the prison “holds a lot of bad memories” and claimed that “it’s definitely haunted.” “I heard strange noises throughout the night but I was the only person there. I had a bucket, a thin mattress and a blanket; they kept the lights on because that’s what they used to do and I didn’t sleep much,” Elba continued. Idris Elba says he ‘heard strange noise’s during his night in a South African prison to prepare for his Nelson Mandela role (Getty Images for Paramount Pictu) However, he still took value from his night in the prison, adding: “It was a scary experience, but it definitely gave me a stronger connection to Mandela.” Mandela first went to Robben Island Prison in May 1963, after being sentenced the previous October to five years for sabotage, as he led a campaign against the apartheid government in South Africa. After another trial in Pretoria, this time for treason, he returned to the island in June 1964 and remained there until March 1982, when he was moved to the mainland. He was released from prison in 1990, four years before he served as the first Black president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. Mandela died in 2013 at the age of 95. Ebla has also recounted the experience of spending a night in the infamous prison to Oprah Winfrey shortly after the movie was released in 2013. He said his first trip to Robben Island was as a “tourist.” But when he returned for a second time, his experience “was awful.” “When I started to understand the history of the island, the fact that it was a leprosy colony,” he added. He noted that when he asked the prison if he could spend a night in Mandela’s cell, he was initially told no. After asking again “several times,” he was permitted to stay in the prison for a night, just not Mandela’s cell. He said he was offered a cell in the C Wing, which was a “punishment cell.” “I said, ‘I want it exactly as Madiba had it. Whatever facilities he had that night, on his first night,’” he recalled to Winfrey, referring to Mandela’s famous nickname. “I just heard this series of locks,” he continued, reflecting on going into the prison cell. “And I had the most amazing sense of loss. I was like, ‘Wow.’ And it just put it into perspective about what Madiba had gone through. Just perspective and context. I could never say I had gone through what he’d gone through.” He also claimed that in the cell, he was “definitely visited by spirits,” which he knew through the “energy” and “temperature changes” he felt.