U.S. Appeals Court Upholds Sanctions Against Francesca Albanese

Washington, May 24, 2026 – A U.S. appeals court has decided to temporarily maintain the sanctions imposed on UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese (UN Watch, 2026).

This decision is seen by human rights defenders as a new attempt to silence criticism of Israeli violations in the occupied territories.

Albanese has faced a strong smear campaign. This included condemnations from European countries based on a manipulated and edited video of her intervention in Doha (Amnesty International, 2026).

Despite her important work documenting violations of international law, Albanese is at a clear disadvantage compared to major Western media outlets, where the Israeli narrative has historically carried much greater weight than the Palestinian one.

Only the horror of three years of systematic massacres against civilian populations in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, and Yemen has managed to open a small space for alternative voices.

By sanctioning an independent expert for promoting accountability before the International Criminal Court, the United States once again demonstrates its unconditional alignment with Israel over human rights and freedom of expression.

References

Amnesty International. (2026, February 13). European states must retract outrageous attacks on UN expert Francesca Albanese.

UN Watch. (2026, May 23). UN Watch welcomes U.S. appeals court order reinstating sanctions on Francesca Albanese.

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