Navi Pillay awarded Nobel Peace Prize for human rights work

Former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, in recognition of her long career defending human rights and fighting discrimination.

Pillay, a South African lawyer, rose to prominence during the apartheid era, when she secured better conditions for political prisoners on Robben Island, including Nelson Mandela. She continued her advocacy after retirement, chairing a UN inquiry into violations in Israel and the Palestinian territories.

Pillay, now 81, faced accusations of antisemitism during her work on the committee, but defended her colleagues and stressed that the panel enjoyed broad moral support. She said her upbringing in an unjust society inspired her to fight discrimination everywhere.

Born in Durban in 1941 to a Tamil family, Pillay grew up in a poor neighborhood. She earned a master's and doctorate in law from Harvard University, and founded the first law firm for a Black woman in KwaZulu-Natal. In 1973, she secured the right for political prisoners on Robben Island to have legal representation.

After Nelson Mandela became president, Pillay was appointed the first woman of color to serve on South Africa's Supreme Court, and was later recommended for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. In 2008, she became UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, a post she held until 2014. She currently chairs the International Commission against the Death Penalty.

Pillay has publicly criticized crackdowns in some Arab countries, and has said that while South Africa's constitution is strong, it needs competent leadership. She has expressed pain over deteriorating conditions and the misuse of taxpayers' money.