US lifts sanctions on Francesca Albanese, UN expert on Palestinian rights

The United States removed sanctions against UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese related to International Criminal Court matters. The Treasury Department listed her name under a designation removal update. The change followed a temporary injunction issued by a federal judge after a lawsuit filed by Albanese’s husband and daughter. The lawsuit argued the sanctions punished her public advocacy against Israel’s human rights abuses in Gaza. The judge found the Trump administration sought to regulate the UN expert’s speech based on the ideas she expressed. The administration had accused Albanese of biased and malicious activities and lawfare, including recommending ICC arrest warrants for Israeli leaders. The judge noted her recommendations had no binding effect on the ICC. Albanese previously said the sanctions were meant to weaken her mission.

"The United States has removed sanctions against the UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territory, Francesca Albanese, a week after a federal judge said the measures restricted her freedom of speech. In a brief update on its website on Wednesday, the US Department of the Treasury listed Albanese's name under the heading: International Criminal Court-related Designation Removal."

"The announcement comes after US District Judge Richard Leon issued a temporary injunction against the sanctions in response to a case filed by Albanese's husband and daughter in February. The lawsuit argued that the sanctions were imposed as a punishment for her public advocacy against Israel's human rights abuses of Palestinians. Leon found that President Donald Trump's administration had sought to regulate the United Nations expert's speech because of the idea or message expressed."

"The Trump administration imposed the sanctions after accusing Albanese of biased and malicious activities and lawfare, including recommending that the International Criminal Court issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister, Yoav Gallant. It is undisputed that her recommendations have no binding effect on the ICC's actions they are nothing more than her opinion, Leon said in his decision."

"Albanese welcomed the judge's injunction last week in a statement posted on X, thanking her husband and daughter for stepping up to defend me and everyone who has helped so far. The Treasury Department imposed the sanctions in July after Albanese published a report accusing 48 companies of complicity in Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, including US tech giants Microsoft, Alphabet Google."

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