Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur accused of deep anti-Israel bias, denounced US sanctions against her as a breach of international protections.
In a fiery rebuke from Bogotá on Tuesday, Francesca Albanese—the United Nations’ controversial Special Rapporteur on the Palestinian territories—lashed out at the United States over sanctions imposed against her, branding the move a blatant breach of international law.
The backlash comes less than a week after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced punitive sanctions against Albanese, denouncing her actions as “biased and malicious.” Known for her relentless anti-Israel rhetoric, Albanese has frequently accused Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza and has drawn global criticism for comparing Israeli leaders to Nazis.
Speaking at an international summit in Colombia hosted by President Gustavo Petro to address the Gaza conflict, Albanese called the US move “unprecedented” and “very serious.” She accused Washington of violating the UN Convention on Privileges and Immunities, which protects UN officials—including independent experts—from prosecution or retaliation over their official duties.
“This is a warning to anyone who dares to defend international law and human rights, justice and freedom,” Albanese said, painting the sanctions as part of a broader campaign to silence criticism of Israel’s war conduct.
Albanese used her platform at the summit to call on states worldwide to take “concrete actions” against Israel, including the suspension of all diplomatic, economic, and private-sector relations.
The United Nations Human Rights Council recently extended Albanese’s mandate by three years, despite mounting concerns over her objectivity. Her long history of inflammatory statements includes antisemitic social media posts from 2022, where she alleged that a “Jewish lobby” controls US policy—remarks she has since defended, insisting they were “mischaracterized.”
Following the Hamas-led massacre on October 7, 2023—in which over 1,200 Israelis were slaughtered and 250 taken hostage—Albanese intensified her condemnations of Israel, portraying the attack as a reaction to alleged “Israeli aggression.” She has since likened Israel’s government to the “Third Reich” and even compared Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler—drawing outrage from across the political spectrum.
The US sanctions, announced by Secretary Rubio on July 9, cite Albanese’s attempts to incite International Criminal Court actions against American and Israeli officials and companies. The decision to target her underscores the growing chasm between Albanese’s position at the UN and the stance of Western democracies increasingly disillusioned with her extremist views.
