US sanctions UN official over denouncing occupation forces
(MENAFN) The United States has issued sanctions against Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur assigned to the occupied Palestinian territories, following her strong condemnation of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
According to statements, the move was confirmed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a post on X, where he justified the action by citing Albanese’s “illegitimate and shameful efforts to prompt the International Criminal Court action against US and Israeli officials, companies, and executives.” He added, “Albanese’s campaign of political and economic warfare against the United States and Israel will no longer be tolerated. We will always stand by our partners in their right to self-defense.”
Albanese, who was appointed to her position by the UN Human Rights Council, has frequently drawn criticism from US leadership. President Donald Trump had previously accused the UNHRC of exhibiting prejudice and promoting antisemitic narratives. In line with that view, the current administration declared in February that the US would be ceasing its participation in the council—reinstating a policy first implemented during Trump’s initial term.
Albanese has often described Israel’s offensive in Gaza as a “genocide” and has publicly urged international actors to detain Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu based on the 2024 arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court in The Hague. During a speech at the UN earlier this month, she also called for a complete ban on arms sales to Israel and recommended that countries suspend trade agreements with Tel Aviv.
“I stand firmly and convincingly on the side of justice, as I have always done,” Albanese stated on X shortly after the sanctions were announced.
Both the US and Israel do not recognize the authority of the ICC and have strongly denounced the warrants targeting Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
In a similar move last month, the US sanctioned four judges from the ICC, including those responsible for greenlighting an investigation into the actions of American forces in Afghanistan. That decision was strongly criticized by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, who called it “deeply corrosive of good governance and the due administration of justice.”
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
