The administration of President Donald Trump has recently imposed sanctions on UN expert Francesca Albanese due to her critical documentation of Israel’s actions against Palestinians amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
The sanctions were announced by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who accused Albanese of orchestrating a ‘campaign of political and economic warfare against the United States and Israel.’
Albanese, serving as the UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territory, has gained international recognition for her calls to address human rights violations perpetrated by Israel.
Over the years, both Israel and its supporters have pressured the UN to remove Albanese from her position, labeling her work as biased.
In response to the sanctions, Albanese dismissed the US’s actions as ‘mafia style intimidation techniques,’ asserting her commitment to her role.
‘Busy reminding member states of their obligations to stop and punish genocide. And those who profit from it,’ she stated in a text message to Al Jazeera.
Earlier that same day, Albanese criticized European governments for permitting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to utilize their airspace during travel, despite facing war crime charges from the International Criminal Court (ICC) related to actions in Gaza.
In a social media post, she pointed out that ‘Italian, French and Greek citizens deserve to know’ about the implications of political actions that violate international legal order.
Rubio’s reference to Albanese’s push for accountability at the ICC constituted the justification for the sanctions.
President Trump had previously issued an executive order in February aimed at imposing penalties on ICC officials who were perceived to target Israel.
In a related move, the Trump administration had also sanctioned four ICC judges the previous month.
United Nations rights chief Volker Turk responded to the sanctions on Albanese by calling for their ‘prompt reversal’ and a cessation of ‘attacks and threats’ against those appointed by the UN and other international institutions.
Rubio further alleged that Albanese’s actions reflect anti-Semitism, suggesting that her professional history demonstrates a bias against Israel.
He singled out her recommendations for the ICC to issue arrest warrants against Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, in relation to the ICC’s charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes in Gaza.
The ICC accused Netanyahu and Gallant of depriving Palestinian populations of essential resources, such as food, water, and medicine.
Rubio added that Albanese’s recent findings, which documented the involvement of international businesses, including US firms, in the Israeli military operations, further exemplified the threat perceived by the US administration.
‘We will not tolerate these campaigns of political and economic warfare, which threaten our national interests and sovereignty,’ Rubio emphasized.
The executive order from Trump effectively freezes the assets of identified individuals in the US and restricts their entry, along with their immediate family members.
Critics of the sanctions have characterized them as damaging.
Nancy Okail, head of the Center for International Policy, remarked that the sanctions portray the US as acting comparable to dictatorial regimes.
Agnes Callamard, the secretary general of Amnesty International, expressed her dismay at the US’s decision, asserting that special rapporteurs are meant to be independent experts who should report impartially rather than cater to governmental approval.
‘Albanese is working tirelessly to document and report on Israel’s unlawful occupation, apartheid and genocide, on the basis of international law,’ Callamard stated.
She urged global governments to do everything in their power to protect Albanese’s work and the independence of UN special rapporteurs from the repercussions of the sanctions.
image source from：aljazeera
