US imposes sanctions on UN human rights official Francesca Albanese over Israel report

The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has imposed sanctions on Francesca Albanese, the United Nations' Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in the Palestinian Territories Occupied since 1967.

Albanese last week published a report listing up to 48 multinational corporations in defense equipment manufacturing, logistics, tech, tourism, knowledge production, and agriculture as having profited from “the genocide carried out by Israel” in Gaza by providing cloud and AI technologies to the Israeli government and military, among other things.

The decision to sanction Albanese came under President Trump’s Executive Order 14203, aimed at countering actions perceived as violations of US sovereignty and interests.

Rubio on Wednesday said the sanctions derived from Albanese's alleged direct engagement with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in efforts that the US considers to undermine both American and Israeli sovereignty.

As neither the United States nor Israel is a party to the Rome Statute that established the ICC, he said any attempts by Albanese to pursue investigations or prosecutions targeting nationals of these countries were viewed as serious infringements by the US government.

"The United States has repeatedly condemned and objected to the biased and malicious activities of Albanese that have long made her unfit for service as a Special Rapporteur. Albanese has spewed unabashed antisemitism, expressed support for terrorism, and open contempt for the United States, Israel, and the West," Rubio said.

"That bias has been apparent across the span of her career, including recommending that the ICC, without a legitimate basis, issue arrest warrants targeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant."

Critics of Albanese have long pointed to what they describe as Albanese's biased conduct, accusing her of fostering antisemitism and exhibiting hostility towards both the US and Israel.

Rubio said the imposition of sanctions against Albanese served as a clear message from the US government that it will actively respond to what it describes as illegitimate overreach by the ICC.

"The United States will continue to take whatever actions we deem necessary to respond to lawfare, to check and prevent illegitimate ICC overreach and abuse of power, and to protect our sovereignty and that of our allies," he said.

BUSINESS REPORT