Former Court Judge Wins Nobel Peace Prize

On Friday, Navi Pillay won the Nobel Peace Prize. Pillay is an eighty-five-year-old judge from South Africa. She worked for the International Criminal Court in the past. After that, she became the United Nations human rights chief. Now, she works for the International Court of Justice.

The Nobel Committee gave her the prize because she promotes peace. Jørgen Watne Frydnes is the leader of the committee. He said that international law is under attack today. He thinks this prize is a message to bad leaders.

However, some countries are not happy about this decision. Last year, Pillay led a United Nations group. This group wrote a report about the Gaza Strip. The report accused Israel of genocide in Gaza. On Friday, the Israeli government quickly condemned the award. They said very angry words about her work. They believe that the award is a big mistake.

The Nobel Committee tried to call Pillay on Friday morning. But they could not reach her on the phone. Frydnes spoke to the audience in Norway. He told her to look at her phone. He wanted her to answer the call from Norway.

Later, Pillay appeared in a video in Germany. She was at the Palace of Justice in Nuremberg. Many happy people clapped for her. She laughed and she made a funny joke. First, she thought the award was a joke. She wanted to check the facts because she is a judge.

Last year, María Corina Machado won this famous prize. She is a famous leader from Venezuela. This year, Pillay is the new winner. She is happy because she works hard for justice.