The United States has imposed sanctions on Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, citing her strong criticism of Israel’s military actions in Gaza. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the move, accusing Albanese of urging International Criminal Court (ICC) action against U.S. and Israeli officials and companies.
Albanese, an Italian lawyer and academic, has labeled Israel’s military campaign in Gaza a "genocidal campaign" and called for arms embargoes and economic disengagement. Her latest UN report named over 60 companies allegedly complicit in supporting Israeli military operations and settlements, demanding they halt business with Israel and face legal consequences.
Israel denies all accusations, asserting its actions are in self-defense following Hamas’s October 2023 attacks. The ICC and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) are currently reviewing cases related to alleged war crimes and genocide.
The sanctions drew sharp backlash from human rights organizations. Amnesty International condemned the move, warning it undermines the independence of UN experts. Agnes Callamard, Amnesty’s Secretary General and a former UN rapporteur, urged governments to counter the sanctions and protect international legal mechanisms. Dylan Williams of the Center for International Policy called the sanctions “rogue state behavior.”
Albanese’s role, like other UN special rapporteurs, is independent and does not represent the views of the UN itself. Her spokesperson has not commented on the sanctions.
Since returning to office in January, President Donald Trump has taken a hardline stance against multiple UN bodies, cutting ties with the UN Human Rights Council and UNRWA, and announcing U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and WHO. In June, his administration also sanctioned four ICC judges after the court issued a warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and investigated U.S. actions in Afghanistan.