The United States has lifted sanctions against Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territory, a week after a federal judge ruled the measures restricted her freedom of speech. The US Treasury Department updated its website on Wednesday, listing Albanese's name under the heading “International Criminal Court-related Designation Removal”.
The move follows a temporary injunction issued by US District Judge Richard Leon in response to a lawsuit filed by Albanese's husband and daughter in February. The lawsuit argued that the sanctions were imposed as punishment for her public advocacy against Israel's human rights abuses of Palestinians. Leon found that the Trump administration had sought to regulate the UN expert's speech because of the “idea or message expressed”.
The Trump administration imposed the sanctions after accusing Albanese of “biased and malicious activities” and “lawfare,” including recommending that the International Criminal Court issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant. “It is undisputed that her recommendations have no binding effect on the ICC's actions – they are nothing more than her opinion,” Leon said in his decision.
Albanese did not immediately respond to the announcement but previously said the sanctions were “calculated to weaken my mission”. She welcomed the judge's injunction last week, thanking her family for their support. The Treasury imposed the sanctions in July after Albanese published a report accusing 48 companies, including Microsoft, Alphabet, and Amazon, of complicity in Israel's genocidal war on Gaza.
Albanese has served as UN rapporteur since May 2022. Under Trump, Washington has wielded sanctions to pressure advocates for Palestinians and other progressive causes. Earlier this week, the Trump regime sanctioned four activists participating in flotillas attempting to break Israel's siege on Gaza. Washington has also sanctioned ICC judges and prosecutors over arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant.
Source: www.aljazeera.com