Richard Goldstone, the South African judge who wrote the controversial report that criticised Israel’s actions in Gaza but failed to refer to its right to defend itself, has won an international award.

Judge Goldstone has been awarded the first annual Stockholm Human Rights Award, presented jointly by the International Legal Assistance Consortium, the Swedish Bar Association and the International Bar Association, for “an outstanding contribution to promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms”. He was presented with the award in Stockholm.

The citation talked about his lengthy career in human rights first in his native South Africa and, for the last 15 years, on the international stage. It mentions specifically the UN-commissioned report on the Gaza conflict between Israel and Hamas.