Watan-On Thursday, Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, described the U.S. sanctions imposed on her as “mafia-like intimidation.”
The U.S. State Department announced Wednesday that it was placing Albanese under sanctions, citing her efforts to urge the International Criminal Court (ICC) to take action against the United States and Israel for violating international law during what she called the genocide in Gaza.
In her first response, Albanese appeared to brush off the move, calling it “mafia-style intimidation” in a post shared on her Instagram and X accounts:“No comment on mafia-like intimidation tactics. I’m busy reminding UN member states of their obligations to stop and punish genocide and those who profit from it.”
In another post, she wrote:“Italian, French, and Greek citizens deserve to know that every political act undermining international law weakens and endangers us all.”
Albanese had earlier on Wednesday called on Italy, France, and Greece to explain why they allowed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—wanted for war crimes—to fly through their airspace.
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio said on X:“Today, I imposed sanctions on UN Human Rights Council Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese for her disgraceful efforts to pressure the ICC to act against American and Israeli officials and companies.”
Rubio added that her “political and economic campaign” against the U.S. and Israel would no longer be tolerated and that Washington would continue taking all necessary actions.“We will always stand with Israel’s right to defend itself,” he concluded.
Also on Wednesday, the U.S. asked UN Secretary-General António Guterres to dismiss Albanese, accusing her of antisemitism.
Since October 7, 2023, Albanese has issued several reports documenting what she has called “Israeli genocide” in Gaza and has consistently described the Israeli military campaign as one of mass extermination and war crimes.
In her most recent report released this month, Albanese named over 60 global companies, including major weapons and tech firms, as complicit in supporting Israel’s military actions in Gaza and West Bank settlements.
European MP Proposes Nobel Peace Prize for Albanese
Amid this growing pressure campaign against her, European Parliament member Matjaž Nemec on Wednesday proposed Francesca Albanese for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize.
In a post on X, the Slovenian MP called for support from fellow parliamentarians, saying:“Through her statements and reports as UN Special Rapporteur, Albanese has become the voice of millions demanding sanctions against the Israeli government committing genocide, backed by facts and compelling evidence.”
He emphasized that unlike Albanese, many Western politicians are complicit in the genocide through silence:“Albanese is a moral counterweight to the hypocrisy of U.S. and European policies.”“While mass killings continue in Gaza and the West Bank, Albanese stands out as the leading voice against unthinkable brutality targeting the Palestinian people.”
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