UN’s Francesca Albanese Sanctioned by U.S. for Speaking Out on Gaza
Rights Envoy Faces Travel and Financial Restrictions After Accusing Israel of Genocide.
Watan-In a scene that reflects the contradictions of international justice, Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, has found herself the target of U.S. sanctions—not for wrongdoing, but simply for telling the truth.
The Italian legal expert, who has no cultural or religious ties to Palestine, has paid the price for her courageous stance in exposing Israeli war crimes and accusing Tel Aviv of committing genocide in Gaza. Her statements triggered widespread media attacks, along with death threats from pro-Israel organizations, most notably “B’Tar” and “UN Watch.”
The U.S. government responded by imposing financial sanctions and restricting her travel and professional dealings—a move that many, including UN Secretary-General António Guterres, have condemned as a dangerous precedent.
Yet Albanese remains undeterred. She declared:“I stand firmly with justice… This may restrict my mobility, but I will continue doing what I’ve always done.”
In a world where perpetrators are rewarded and human rights defenders are punished, the case of Francesca Albanese serves as a stark reminder that speaking the truth can become a crime—especially when it threatens powerful interests.
