UN expert warns US sanctions violate Palestinian immunity【】
United States imposes sanctions on UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese
Washington announced a set of sanctions targeting Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories. The move comes after Albanese released a report accusing a number of American companies of profiting from Israel’s occupation and alleged genocide in Gaza.
Albanese’s criticism sparks a diplomatic backlash
Albanese described the sanctions as a “violation” of the UN Convention on Privileges and Immunities, which protects independent experts from actions taken in the exercise of their functions. She said the sanctions were an unprecedented warning to anyone who defends international law and human rights.
US policy reversals and international condemnation
On Friday the European Union strongly supported the UN human rights system and called the sanctions a “dangerous precedent.” UN chief Antonio Guterres’s spokesperson urged the United States to reverse the sanctions against Albanese and the four ICC judges who were recently targeted by Washington.
Key facts about the conflict and the UN’s response
- Albanese assumed her mandate in 2022 and released a damning report this month.
- Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967, with violence surging in the territory since October 2023.
- More than 58,479 Palestinians have been killed in ongoing retaliation operations, according to data from the Health Ministry of the Hamas government.
- The war in Gaza was triggered on October 7, 2023 after Hamas militants killed 1,219 people in Israel and took hostages.
UN guidance on the implications
UN special rapporteurs like Albanese are independent experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council. They do not speak on behalf of the United Nations, but their findings are often used as the basis for advocacy and policy debates worldwide.
