The United Nations urged the United States on Thursday to reverse its decision to impose sanctions on UN Special Rapporteur for the Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese, following her criticisms of US policies in Gaza and her accusations against Israel of committing “genocide.”
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk stated in a press release, “I strongly encourage the United States to promptly lift sanctions against Francesca Albanese.”
He also called for an end to “attacks and threats” directed toward individuals appointed by the UN and the International Criminal Court (ICC).
On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that Washington was preparing to impose sanctions on the UN’s special rapporteur regarding the situation in the Palestinian territories. He emphasized on the platform “X” that this action was taken “due to her shameful and illegitimate efforts to push the ICC to take action against US and Israeli officials and leaders.”
No specific details about the sanctions have been disclosed yet. Albanese described the US sanctions against her as “designed to undermine her mission” during a press conference in Ljubljana, Slovenia.
She added, “I will continue to do what I must,” even if it represents “a challenge.” This announcement came after Washington imposed sanctions last month on four judges from the ICC related to cases involving the US and Israel, including the court’s issuance of an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
The sanctions include barring the judges from entering the United States and freezing any assets they hold in the country. Typically, such measures target criminals or political leaders in adversarial nations, rather than judges.