US reaffirms stance on sanctions for Italian politician Francesca Albanese

The US Department of State clarified its stance on sanctions against Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur for the Palestinian territory, following a court ruling. The administration had previously targeted Albanese with sanctions in July 2025, after she recommended that the International Criminal Court issue arrest warrants for Israeli officials.

Albanese’s family filed a civil complaint in a US federal court seeking to overturn the sanctions as a violation of her constitutional rights, including the right to free speech. In February, US District Judge Richard Leon sided with the plaintiffs, issuing a preliminary injunction to block the sanctions against Albanese.

The State Department stated that the administration removed Albanese from a sanctions list due to the recent court ruling, but emphasized that this does not constitute a change in policy. The department added that it has appealed the court’s order and intends to restore Albanese’s name to the list of Specially Designated Nationals (SDNs) if the DC Circuit stays or overturns the order.

Albanese was targeted by the US due to her criticism of Israeli policies towards Palestinians, which has been documented in reports issued by the International Criminal Court. The Palestinian death toll in Gaza is estimated to exceed 75,000. Albanese’s daughter is a US citizen and she has assets in the country.

A lawsuit filed on behalf of Albanese noted that the sanctions resulted in her losing access to her bank account and apartment, as well as financial systems with ties to the US. The court decision stated that the government had sought to regulate Albanese due to the “idea or message expressed” in her speech, but emphasized that she had done nothing more than speak.

The US has imposed retaliatory sanctions on several international figures, including ICC judges, who have been involved in cases concerning alleged rights abuses by Israeli forces. Rights groups and experts have echoed Albanese’s conclusion that Israel’s actions in Gaza constitute a genocide.

Source: Al Jazeera