Nobel Peace laureate defends international justice as it comes under US criticism

Navi Pillay, the South African-born jurist who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last week, told The Associated Press in an interview Monday that, as a judge, she had to see the evidence of her win before she could believe the news.

“I received the letter in writing … so now I have read it for myself, and it’s true,” said Pillay, 85, who won the award for promoting international law at a time when the system is under attack.

Her career has ranged from defending the rights of an imprisoned Nelson Mandela to leading a panel that found that Israel committed genocide in Gaza to serving as a judge on three international courts.

“To be honored for that kind of work is tremendous, not only for me, but for all my colleagues,” Pillay said.

On the 125th anniversary of the prize’s inception, the Norwegian Nobel Committee sought “to remind