The UN human rights chief called for the “immediate lifting” of US sanctions against Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, on Thursday.
“UN special rapporteurs, along with other actors in the human rights ecosystem, are by their nature engaged in sensitive and often controversial issues that raise international concerns,” Volker Türk said in his statement, adding that even in the face of sharp differences, Member States should engage in “meaningful and constructive dialogue, rather than resorting to punitive measures.”
“Attacks and threats against special procedures mandate holders, as well as key institutions such as the International Criminal Court, must stop,” Turk urged. He also noted that the solution lies in “more, not less” discussion and dialogue on the very real human rights issues they address.
On Wednesday, the United States imposed sanctions against UN Human Rights Council Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese for her comments on “genocide” in the Gaza Strip.
US secretary of state Marco Rubio’s statement said Albanese “has directly engaged with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in an effort to investigate, arrest, detain or prosecute citizens of the United States or Israel without the consent of those two countries.”
In 2024, Albanese said she considered what was happening in Gaza to be “controlled genocide.” She has repeatedly spoken out in support of the ICC’s arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and has publicly called for the Israeli prime minister’s arrest.
Earlier, the Trump administration had sent an official request for Albanese’s removal from office, accusing her of “vicious anti-Semitism, support for terrorism,” and pressure on international companies cooperating with Israel.
