Gaza – Saba:
United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories Francesca Albanese has vehemently denounced sanctions imposed on her by the United States, labeling them "mafia intimidation."
The move by the U.S. State Department comes in response to Albanese's persistent efforts to hold the United States and Israel accountable for alleged violations of international law, including genocide, in Gaza.
Francesca Albanese, an Italian legal scholar and human rights expert, assumed her role as UN Special Rapporteur on May 1, 2022, becoming the first woman to hold the position.
She has been a vocal critic of Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories and, since October 2023, has issued multiple reports documenting what she describes as Zionist genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
Her latest report, released this month, accused over 60 international companies, including major arms and technology firms, of supporting Israeli military operations and settlements.
The U.S. State Department announced the sanctions on Wednesday evening, citing Albanese's efforts to urge the International Criminal Court to take action against the United States and "Israel" for their violations of international law during the genocide in Gaza.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Albanese's campaign of political and economic warfare against the United States and "Israel" will no longer be tolerated.
The sanctions were imposed under President Trump's Executive Order 14203, which targets individuals involved in efforts to investigate or prosecute U.S. or Israeli nationals by the International Criminal Court (ICC) without their consent, as neither country is a party to the Rome Statute. Being placed on the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list means her assets are blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from dealing with her.
In her immediate response, Albanese dismissed the decision as mafia intimidation tactics. She stated on her Instagram and Twitter accounts that she remains busy reminding Member States of their obligations to stop and punish genocide and those who benefit from it.
She further emphasized that Italian, French, and Greek citizens deserve to know that any political action that violates the international legal order weakens them all and puts us all at risk".
Albanese's recent actions include calling on Italy, France, and Greece to clarify their decision to provide safe airspace to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes.
The ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in November 2024 for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, including starvation as a method of warfare.
While ICC member states are theoretically obligated to arrest individuals with warrants on their territory, some European governments, including France and Italy, have expressed doubts or stated that immunities apply, while others like the Netherlands and Belgium have affirmed they would comply.
The U.S. sanctions have drawn strong condemnation from international bodies and human rights organizations.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk urged a prompt reversal of the sanctions, stating that UN Special Rapporteurs address sensitive issues and that member states should engage constructively rather than resort to punitive measures.
Amnesty International also denounced the sanctions as a shameless and transparent attack on the fundamental principles of international justice, calling on the international community to reject the U.S. decision.
Since October 7, 2023, the Occupation military operations in the Gaza Strip have resulted in a preliminary toll of 57,762 Palestinian civilian deaths, predominantly children and women, and 137,656 injuries, with thousands more still under rubble.
| more of (International) |