US Sanctions Against UN Rapporteur Francesca Albanese Blocked by Federal Judge

US Judge Blocks Sanctions Against UN Expert Francesca Albanese

A federal judge has temporarily blocked sanctions imposed on United Nations expert Francesca Albanese by the Trump administration. The sanctions, which were put in place in July 2025, targeted Albanese for her public criticism of Washington’s policy towards Israel’s actions in Gaza.

Albanese, a UN Human Rights Council Special Rapporteur, had recommended that the International Criminal Court pursue war crimes prosecutions against Israeli and US nationals. In response, the Trump administration described her as “unfit” for her role and accused her of “biased and malicious activities”.

A lawsuit filed by Albanese’s husband and daughter in February claimed that the sanctions were an attempt to punish her for speaking out about human rights abuses in the occupied Palestinian territory. The court order granted a preliminary injunction against the sanctions, finding that the Trump administration had sought to regulate Albanese’s speech due to the “idea or message expressed”.

The judge noted that Albanese’s recommendations have no binding effect on the ICC’s actions and are merely her opinion. Albanese has since celebrated the ruling on social media, thanking her family for their support.

Albanese has been serving as the special rapporteur for the West Bank and Gaza since 2022, monitoring human rights abuses against Palestinians. The UN Human Rights Council selected her for the position.

Source: Al Jazeera