A US federal judge has temporarily blocked sanctions imposed on Francesca Albanese, a United Nations special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territory. The ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by her husband and daughter.

The sanctions were introduced in July 2025 after Albanese publicly criticized Washington's policy on Israel's genocidal war in Gaza. They barred her from entering the US, using US banks, and conducting business with Americans.

Albanese's husband and daughter filed the lawsuit in February, arguing that the sanctions were designed to punish her for highlighting Israeli human rights abuses against Palestinians. They claimed the measures effectively debanked her and disrupted her daily life.

US District Judge Richard Leon granted a preliminary injunction, stating that the Trump administration sought to regulate her speech based on the 'idea or message expressed.' He noted that Albanese had done nothing more than speak and that her recommendations were non-binding opinions.

Albanese celebrated the ruling on social media, thanking her family for their support. She has served as UN special rapporteur for the West Bank and Gaza since 2022, monitoring human rights violations against Palestinians.

The Trump administration had previously called Albanese 'unfit' and accused her of 'biased and malicious activities' against the US and Israel. She had also urged the International Criminal Court to pursue war crimes prosecutions against Israeli and US nationals.

Source: www.aljazeera.com