US Imposes Sanctions on UN Palestinian Rights Expert

The United States, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, has imposed sanctions on Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Palestinian affairs, accusing her of biased actions and supporting terrorism following her critical report on Israeli activities in Gaza and involvement with the International Criminal Court. Albanese condemned the sanctions as an unprecedented violation of her diplomatic immunity under the UN Convention on Privileges and Immunities, framing them as an intimidation tactic against human rights defenders and a threat to the UN human rights system. The sanctions have drawn strong condemnation from the United Nations and the European Union, both urging the US to reverse its decision, highlighting the dangerous precedent such punitive measures set against independent UN experts. Civil society organizations and human rights groups have also denounced the sanctions as an assault on international justice, undermining multilateralism and silencing voices advocating for accountability regarding alleged war crimes and genocide in the occupied Palestinian territories. Albanese continues to stand by her findings and calls for investigations into corporate complicity in the occupation, emphasizing the importance of protecting UN Special Rapporteurs in their efforts to uphold human rights. These developments occur amid the ongoing Gaza conflict, underscoring the geopolitical tensions surrounding accountability and human rights advocacy in the region.