US removes UN rapporteur Francesca Albanese from sanctions list
The US has removed UN Special Rapporteur for Palestinian Human Rights Francesca Albanese from its Specially Designated Nationals list, following a federal judge's ruling that the Trump administration's sanctions violated her First Amendment rights. Albanese was sanctioned after encouraging ICC prosecutions of Israeli officials.
The US has removed UN Special Rapporteur for Palestinian Human Rights Francesca Albanese from its Specially Designated Nationals list, according to the US Treasury Department's website Wednesday. The move comes after a federal judge last week blocked the Trump administration's sanctions against Albanese, ruling they violated her First Amendment rights.
Sanctions background
Albanese, an Italian citizen living in Tunisia, was sanctioned after she encouraged the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague to pursue war crimes prosecutions against Israeli officials over their actions in Gaza. The sanctions had frozen any assets she held in the US and barred Americans from doing business with her.
Court ruling
The federal judge's ruling determined that the sanctions infringed on Albanese's free speech rights, marking a legal setback for the administration's use of sanctions against individuals critical of US ally Israel.
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Context
The removal comes amid heightened international scrutiny of Israel's war in Gaza, which has killed more than 72,000 Palestinians since October 2023. The ICC has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
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