Human rights expert Philippe Sands wins German Peace Prize
Key takeaways
- From advocating for the law of ecocide to representing Palestinian rights, the descendant of Holocaust survivors tirelessly fights against genocide and crimes against humanity.
- "At the heart of his legal work is a commitment to the universal rights of every human being, evidenced in his advocacy for victims of war crimes, racism, torture and colonial injustice."
- More than a chronicler of crimes and violations of international law, Sands is also a prominent figure in the campaign advocating for the recognition of ecocide as an international crime.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
From advocating for the law of ecocide to representing Palestinian rights, the descendant of Holocaust survivors tirelessly fights against genocide and crimes against humanity.
https://p.dw.com/p/5G1v0Philippe Sands 'tirelessly fights for human rights, justice and mutual understanding,' said the jury Image: Samuel Kirszenbaum/Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels e.V./dpa/picture alliance Advertisement The 2026 Peace Prize of the German Book Trade, a prestigious award that honors individuals who contribute to the realization of peace through their work, goes to French-British lawyer and author Philippe Sands, the prize's board of trustees announced on Thursday.
"In his literary work, which is distinguished both by narrative brilliance and historical depth, Philippe Sands devotes as much attention to the motives of the perpetrators as to the suffering and lives of the victims," the jury noted in its statement. "At the heart of his legal work is a commitment to the universal rights of every human being, evidenced in his advocacy for victims of war crimes, racism, torture and colonial injustice."