The United Nations has called on the United States to reverse sanctions imposed on Francesca Albanese, a UN special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, following her outspoken criticism of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and U.S. policy in the region.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk issued a strong statement on Thursday condemning the U.S. move, calling it a troubling attack on the independence of UN experts. “I urge the prompt reversal of US sanctions against a Special Rapporteur of the UN Human Rights Council, Francesca Albanese, in response to work she has undertaken under her mandate,” Turk stated.
Albanese, who was appointed to her position in 2022, has faced mounting criticism from Israel and its allies for accusing the Israeli government of committing genocide in Gaza. Her recent report claimed that several companies, many of them American, are profiting from what she described as Israel’s “illegal occupation, apartheid, and now genocide.” The report sparked outrage in Israel and among some U.S. officials.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who announced the sanctions on Wednesday, accused Albanese of pushing the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue arrest warrants against Israeli and U.S. officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He denounced her actions as “biased,” alleging she expressed “unabashed antisemitism” and supported terrorism. While the specific details of the sanctions remain unclear, Rubio emphasized they are part of a broader push to defend U.S. sovereignty and national interests.
Albanese responded by calling the sanctions a calculated attempt to weaken her mission. “I will continue to do what I have to do,” she said during a visit to Slovenia.
The president of the UN Human Rights Council, Swiss ambassador Jurg Lauber, also voiced concern over the sanctions, urging all member states to cooperate with UN experts and refrain from intimidation or reprisals.
Washington has previously sanctioned ICC judges over their moves to investigate alleged war crimes involving Israeli and U.S. actors. The latest move marks a deepening rift between the UN and Washington over international accountability and the Israel-Gaza conflict.
