A federal court in Washington, D.C., has suspended the sanctions imposed by the United States against Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories.
The announcement came directly from Albanese herself in a post published on X, where she shared the court’s decision. According to the Italian jurist, the judge ruled that “protecting freedom of speech is always in the public interest,” effectively halting the sanctions introduced by the Trump administration.
The measures had been announced by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who accused Albanese of antisemitism, support for terrorism and hostility toward Israel, the United States and the West. Among the administration’s objections was her cooperation with the International Criminal Court in investigations involving senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The sanctions were challenged in court by Albanese’s husband, Massimiliano Calì, on behalf of the family. Albanese has consistently rejected the accusations, arguing that criticism of Israeli military actions in Gaza should not be equated with antisemitism.
In recent interviews, the UN official described the severe personal and professional consequences of the sanctions, saying they had restricted her access to savings, payment systems and financial services.
Albanese has served as the UN Special Rapporteur for the Palestinian territories since 2022 and has become one of the most outspoken international critics of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. Over the past two years, she has repeatedly accused Israel of committing human rights violations and acts she has described as genocide.