US revokes sanctions on UN expert Francesca Albanese
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The United States has lifted sanctions imposed on United Nations special rapporteur Francesca Albanese days after a federal judge ruled that the measures appeared to violate her right to free speech.
In an update issued on Wednesday, the US Department of the Treasury removed Albanese’s name from its sanctions list under the category “International Criminal Court-related Designation Removal”.
The reversal came a week after US District Judge Richard Leon issued a temporary injunction blocking the sanctions following a lawsuit filed in February by Albanese’s husband and daughter.
The lawsuit argued that the sanctions were politically motivated and aimed at punishing Albanese for her criticism of Israel’s alleged violations of Palestinian human rights and her calls for accountability over the war in Gaza.
In his ruling, Judge Leon said the administration of US President Donald Trump had effectively sought to suppress the UN expert’s speech because of the “idea or message expressed” in her advocacy and reporting.
The Trump administration had sanctioned Albanese after accusing her of engaging in “biased and malicious activities” and “lawfare”, including supporting efforts urging the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant.
Judge Leon rejected the administration’s argument, stating that Albanese’s recommendations carried no binding authority over the ICC and amounted to “nothing more than her opinion”.
Albanese did not immediately comment after the sanctions were revoked. However, she had earlier described the measures as an attempt “calculated to weaken my mission”.
Following last week’s injunction, Albanese posted on X thanking her husband and daughter for “stepping up to defend me” and expressed gratitude to supporters who backed her during the legal battle.
The Treasury Department had originally imposed sanctions in July after Albanese released a report accusing 48 corporations of complicity in Israel’s war on Gaza. The report named major US technology companies, including Microsoft, Alphabet Inc. and Amazon.
Albanese has served as the UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territory since May 2022 and is among several independent experts appointed through the United Nations Human Rights Council to monitor and report on alleged human rights abuses.
Under Trump, Washington has increasingly used sanctions and legal measures against advocates supporting Palestinian rights and other progressive causes, including climate justice movements.
Earlier this week, the Trump administration also sanctioned four activists involved in international flotilla missions challenging Israel’s blockade on Gaza, accusing them, without publicly presenting evidence, of travelling to the Palestinian territory “in support of Hamas”.
The US has also targeted judges and prosecutors linked to the ICC over the court’s pursuit of arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant.
In 2024, ICC prosecutor Karim Khan sought charges against the Israeli officials for alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes during Israel’s military offensive in Gaza.
