SILENCING A SANE VOICE: ON U.S. SANCTIONS AGAINST UN SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR FRANCESCA ALBANESE

The U.S. decision to impose sanctions on a United Nations Special Rapporteur for her criticism of Israel’s war in Gaza has been called a “dangerous precedent” by the UN and top UN Human Rights Council officials.

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The comments followed U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s announcement that Francesca Albanese, a “Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in occupied Palestinian Territories since 1967”, would face restrictions as a result of her engagement with the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The ICC has already been sanctioned by U.S. President Donald Trump in an executive order, shortly after he took office.

While the scope of the sanctions are still unclear, they are understood to include travel and visa bans, and possible asset freezes for Ms. Albanese, who has drawn American ire with a report in June that urged international organisations to prosecute corporate entities and multinationals whose work helps fund the war.