US Sanctions Are a Violation of Immunity: UN Expert Francesca Albanese
BOGOTA, Colombia: The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, has denounced the latest US sanctions against her, calling them an “unprecedented violation” of UN immunity.
Speaking during her visit to Colombia’s capital Bogota, Albanese warned that the sanctions imposed by Washington over her criticisms of Israel’s actions in Gaza represent a dangerous precedent for the protection of UN officials worldwide.
“It’s a clear violation of the UN Convention on Privileges and Immunities that protects UN officials, including independent experts, from actions taken in the exercise of their duties,” Albanese said.
Unprecedented Sanctions
The move comes days after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sanctions on Albanese on July 9, labelling her work as “biased and malicious.” Washington accused her of encouraging the International Criminal Court (ICC) to take action against US and Israeli officials, companies, and executives.
Albanese countered that the measures are intended to intimidate anyone advocating for international law and human rights.
“This is a warning to anyone who dares to defend international law and human rights, justice and freedom,” she told the audience in Bogota.
Growing International Backlash
The United Nations and the European Union have condemned the sanctions, urging the US to withdraw them immediately. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the move as setting a “dangerous precedent” for the global human rights system.
The European Union reiterated its “strong support” for UN human rights mechanisms, warning that sanctioning independent experts undermines the UN’s mission.
Controversial Gaza Report
Albanese, an Italian legal scholar appointed in 2022, has faced repeated backlash from Israel and the US for her strong statements on the Gaza conflict, which she has described as “genocide.”
Earlier this month, she released a report naming several companies — many of them American — that she says profit from Israel’s “illegal occupation, apartheid, and genocide” in the occupied Palestinian territories. The report sparked a strong reaction from Israel and drew objections from the corporations involved.
ICC Judges Also Targeted
Washington also slapped sanctions on four ICC judges last month after the court issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. These judges have now been barred from entering the United States — a move the UN says is equally troubling.
UN special rapporteurs like Francesca Albanese are independent experts, appointed by the UN Human Rights Council but acting in their own capacity — not directly as UN staff. However, they are covered under the same Convention on Privileges and Immunities, which is intended to shield them from political retaliation for their work.
Deadly Toll in Gaza
The Gaza conflict, which reignited on October 7, 2023, after a deadly Hamas attack on Israel that killed 1,219 people, has so far claimed the lives of over 58,479 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The UN considers the ministry’s figures credible.
Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967, and violence has sharply increased since the latest round of fighting began in 2023.
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