UN’s Francesca Albanese Sanctioned by U.S. for Calling Out Israel’s War Crimes
Washington imposes travel and financial restrictions on UN rights expert Francesca Albanese after she accused Israel of genocide in Gaza.
Watan-In a striking reflection of the contradictions of international justice, Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, has become the target of U.S. sanctions—for nothing more than speaking the truth.
The Italian human rights advocate, who has no cultural or religious ties to Palestine, is paying the price for her bold stance in exposing Israeli crimes and accusing Tel Aviv of committing genocide in Gaza. Her courage has drawn a wave of media attacks and death threats from pro-Israeli entities, most notably NGOs like UN Watch and B’Tsalem-affiliated BeTaar.
The U.S. responded by imposing financial sanctions and travel restrictions on Albanese, a move widely condemned as an alarming precedent, including by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who labeled it a dangerous escalation.
Yet Albanese has refused to back down. In a defiant statement, she affirmed her commitment to justice and truth:“I stand firmly on the side of justice… this may restrict my movement, but it will not stop my work.”
In an era where perpetrators are rewarded and truth-tellers punished, the case of Francesca Albanese serves as a blunt reminder that truth can become a crime—when it threatens powerful interests.
