Gaza – Saba:
The Legal Department of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) has strongly condemned U.S. sanctions imposed on Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, calling them “a blatant affront to the United Nations and its institutions.”
In a statement received by the Yemeni News Agency (Saba), the DFLP’s Legal Department described the U.S. measures as reflective of Washington’s antagonism toward international law, justice, and human rights. The move, it argued, also exposes the impotence of the UN and its agencies in defending their own mandates, especially regarding the Palestinian cause.
The department highlighted that both the U.S. and Israel have a history of imposing unilateral sanctions on international organizations, including the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and the International Criminal Court, relying on their own domestic legislation in defiance of international law.
The statement emphasized that these sanctions violate the 1946 UN Convention on Privileges and Immunities—particularly Articles 4, 5, and 6—and contradict Articles 104 and 105 of the UN Charter, which guarantee UN staff the necessary legal protections to perform their duties independently.
Despite U.S. and Israeli pressure, the UN Human Rights Council voted in April to renew Albanese’s mandate until 2028, rejecting efforts by Israel, Hungary, Argentina, and allied organizations to remove her. The DFLP urged the international community to denounce the U.S. sanctions, reject what it called “American bullying and lawlessness,” and support Albanese’s reports, which expose the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank under Israeli aggression.
The group concluded by calling for greater international action to hold Israel accountable for its crimes and to ensure its leaders face justice before international courts.