Who Is Francesca Albanese? UN Rapporteur Sanctioned by US Over Israel Criticism

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United States announced sanctions on Francesca Albanese, the United Nations’ special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, on Wednesday. The move came in response to her outspoken criticism of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and her push for international legal action against U.S. and Israeli officials.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated, “Today I am imposing sanctions on UN Human Rights Council Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese for her illegitimate and shameful efforts to prompt ICC action against US and Israeli officials, companies, and executives.”

Francesca Albanese Responds to Sanctions

Albanese, an Italian lawyer and academic, did not directly reference the sanctions in her public statement but wrote on X, “I stand firmly and convincingly on the side of justice, as I have always done.” In a message to Al Jazeera, she dismissed the sanctions as “mafia-style intimidation techniques.”

Why Francesca Albanese Was Sanctioned

Albanese has accused Israel of launching a “genocidal campaign” in Gaza and called for UN member states to cut arms, trade, and financial ties with the country. Her recent report named over 60 companies—including defense and tech giants—as allegedly complicit in supporting Israeli military operations and settlements. She called for these companies to cease operations with Israel and demanded accountability for executives involved.

Backlash Against US Move

The decision has sparked backlash from human rights organizations.

• Dylan Williams, VP at the Center for International Policy, called it “rogue state behavior.”

• Amnesty International’s Secretary General Agnes Callamard, also a former UN rapporteur, urged the global community to protect the independence and work of UN-appointed experts.

Amnesty stated that “Governments around the world… must block the effect of the sanctions against Francesca Albanese.”

Trump’s Wider UN Withdrawal

Since Donald Trump returned to the presidency in January, his administration has intensified a retreat from international institutions:

• Ended U.S. engagement with the UN Human Rights Council

• Continued a funding freeze on the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA)

• Ordered a review of UNESCO

• Announced plans to exit both the Paris Climate Agreement and the World Health Organization

Trump’s administration also sanctioned four International Criminal Court judges in June after the court issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and moved forward with cases involving U.S. war crimes in Afghanistan.