Frankfurt Book Fair: Rights lawyer Sands awarded peace prize

The 2026 Frankfurt Book Fair concluded on Sunday with the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade going to Philippe Sands. The award was presented in the presence of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. The jury described Sands as a committed humanist who continues defending human rights despite growing resistance.

Sands is a Franco-British lawyer, author, law professor and human rights advocate. The jury highlighted his work for victims of war crimes, racism, torture and colonial injustice. His advocacy is linked to a broader commitment to universal rights and international justice.

The ceremony also became a political moment. In his acceptance speech, Sands criticized Germany’s “inappropriate silence” about Israel’s actions in Gaza and the West Bank. He condemned the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, but said Israel’s right to defend itself must remain within international law.

The Peace Prize of the German Book Trade recognizes a person whose public work reflects humanism, justice and mutual understanding. In Sands’s case, the jury connected the prize to universal rights belonging to every human being. The award therefore honors more than literary achievement; it recognizes ideas and actions with wider moral and legal importance.

The jury said Sands’s work showed commitment through advocacy for victims of war crimes, racism, torture and colonial injustice. His writing and legal practice bring questions of history, accountability and human dignity to a broad audience. His 2016 book helped explain the origins of genocide and crimes against humanity.

The prize also gave Sands a platform to address current events. During his acceptance speech, he criticized Germany’s silence on Israel’s actions in Gaza and the West Bank. His award shows how literary institutions can connect books with urgent debates about rights, justice and responsibility.

Philippe Sands is a Franco-British lawyer and author who teaches law at University College London. He is also a human rights lawyer at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. The prize jury recognized him as a committed humanist who works for human rights, justice and mutual understanding.

His recognition rests on both legal advocacy and writing. The jury specifically cited his support for victims of war crimes, racism, torture and colonial injustice. Sands also became widely known through East West Street, his book about the origins of genocide and crimes against humanity, and the lives of two Jewish lawyers.

Sands’s public role extends into current political debates. In Frankfurt, he criticized Germany’s silence about Israel’s actions in Gaza and the West Bank. He also condemned the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, while stressing that Israel’s right to self-defense is limited by international law.

Philippe Sands’s 2016 book East West Street achieved broad international reach. The article states that it was translated into dozens of languages. That scale matters because the book carries complex legal and historical questions beyond its original English-language audience.

The book examines the lives of Hersch Lauterpacht and Raphael Lemkin, two Jewish lawyers, and traces the origins of international criminal law. Its German translation appeared in 2018 under the title Rückkehr nach Lemberg, meaning Return to Lviv. The German edition connected the work to Sands’s family history and the region now known as Lviv.

The article does not provide an exact number of languages or copies sold. It does show that the book became known to a broader audience and was translated widely. Its international circulation helped bring debates about genocide, crimes against humanity and legal accountability to readers in many countries.

Modern international criminal law developed around the idea that individuals can be held responsible for grave crimes, not only states. The article identifies Hersch Lauterpacht and Raphael Lemkin as Jewish lawyers whose lives Sands examined while tracing this legal development. It does not provide their specific contributions, so the historical details here draw on established knowledge.

Lauterpacht helped advance the concept of crimes against humanity, focusing on protecting individuals and minorities from systematic persecution. Lemkin coined the term genocide and pushed for its recognition as an international crime. Their ideas influenced the legal language and institutions created after World War II.

Their work changed how the world describes mass violence and assigns responsibility. Genocide and crimes against humanity became central concepts in international criminal law. Sands’s book connects these legal ideas with the personal histories of two lawyers, showing how history, memory and law can shape one another.

International law is the system of rules and principles that governs states’ conduct and their relationships with one another. It covers issues such as treaties, armed conflict, human rights and state responsibility. The article invokes it when Sands says Israel’s right to defend itself is real but not unlimited.

The International Court of Justice, based in The Hague, hears legal disputes between states when it has jurisdiction. It interprets treaties and customary international law, then issues judgments or advisory opinions. Its cases concern states rather than prosecuting individuals for crimes. Compliance can depend on legal obligations and international pressure.

This framework matters because even powerful states are expected to justify their actions under shared rules. In the article, Sands argues that human-rights abuses should be named clearly, including among allies. The court and related institutions provide ways to interpret obligations, assess alleged violations and pursue accountability between states.

Self-defense can justify force against an armed attack, but it does not suspend the rest of international law. A state must still follow rules governing necessity, proportionality and the protection of civilians and other people affected by military operations. The article expresses this principle through Sands’s warning that self-defense is not unlimited.

If military actions cross those limits, the conduct may become an internationally wrongful act. The state may be required to stop unlawful operations, prevent repetition, investigate alleged violations and repair harm, depending on the circumstances and applicable legal rules. International courts or other bodies may examine the conduct when they have authority.

The consequences are legal and political, not automatically a criminal conviction of the state. Individual commanders or officials could face separate proceedings if evidence supports individual criminal responsibility. Sands applies this framework to Israel while also condemning the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, as a grave breach of international-law norms.