US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday announced sanctions against Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Human Rights Council Special Rapporteur, accusing her of promoting “illegitimate and shameful” efforts to involve the International Criminal Court (ICC) against American and Israeli officials, companies, and executives.
Rubio, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), declared that Albanese’s actions amounted to a campaign of “political and economic warfare” against the US and Israel, and would no longer be tolerated. “We will always stand by our partners in their right to self-defense,” he added, emphasizing that the US would respond decisively to what he termed “lawfare.”
The move follows a June letter from the Trump administration to UN Secretary-General António Guterres demanding Albanese’s removal, citing alleged “virulent antisemitism” and “support for terrorism.” The letter also challenged her professional qualifications, asserting she is not licensed to practice law despite claiming to be an international lawyer.
Albanese, an Italian national, has drawn repeated criticism for her statements on the Israel-Gaza conflict, particularly for characterizing Israel’s military operations as genocide and suggesting that Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel occurred in a context of decades-long oppression.
Her recent report titled “From Economy of Occupation to Economy of Genocide” accused major US and international companies of complicity in Israel’s actions, prompting backlash from American officials and pro-Israel organizations.
Groups like UN Watch and NGO Monitor have repeatedly accused Albanese of anti-Israel and antisemitic rhetoric, citing past remarks in which she blamed Israel for attacks, dismissed antisemitic motives behind Hamas’ violence, and likened Israeli actions to those of Nazis.
In February 2024, Albanese sparked controversy again by asserting that victims of Hamas were targeted not because of their Jewish identity, but as a response to Israel’s policies. US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield had then called for her removal, stating she was “unfit for her role” at the UN.
The imposition of sanctions marks a significant escalation in the US response to Albanese’s activities, reflecting growing tensions over international scrutiny of US and Israeli policies in the Middle East.
