World Uyghur Congress Challenges Navi Pillay Nobel Peace Prize

The World Uyghur Congress challenged the Norwegian Nobel Committee's decision to award the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize to Navanethem Pillay. The organization alleges that during Pillay's tenure as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2008 to 2014, her office disclosed the names and participation details of Uyghur and other Chinese human rights defenders to the Chinese government without consent.

According to the organization, this breach of trust exposed activists and their families to transnational repression, including surveillance, harassment, and detention. Former WUC president Dolkun Isa stated that these failures created obstacles for him when attempting to access the UN Human Rights Council between 2012 and 2013.

While the organization acknowledges Pillay's contributions to international law, current WUC president Turgunjan Alawdun argued that her record regarding the protection of human rights defenders warrants scrutiny.