A US court on Wednesday imposed a temporary injunction on sanctions placed against Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories.
Albanese was sanctioned by the United States in July 2025 after criticising Washington’s support for Israel during the war in Gaza and calling for action against Israeli officials.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had said the sanctions were imposed in response to what he described as Albanese’s “illegitimate and shameful efforts” in recommending that the International Criminal Court issue an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
US District Judge Richard Leon granted the preliminary injunction and said in an accompanying letter that protecting freedom of speech was always in the public interest.
Justice Department lawyers argued that Albanese, an Italian citizen, did not have First Amendment protections. However, the judge said her extensive ties to the United States, including family connections, gave her grounds to make a free speech claim.
Albanese and her husband said the sanctions had severely affected their family, freezing access to bank accounts, disrupting academic ties, and limiting travel to the United States. They also said the sanctions affected insurance coverage for medical services.
In an interview with The New York Times, Albanese said the sanctions had caused significant hardship and that her family feared legal consequences for maintaining contact with her.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights condemned the sanctions, saying Albanese had faced substantial pressure while carrying out her duties and warning against attempts to silence human rights defenders.
Albanese welcomed the court ruling on X, thanking her family and supporters for standing by her during the legal challenge.