AhlulBayt News Agency: Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, stated that US sanctions against her are not a sign of strength but rather of guilt.
In a post on X, Albanese said that punishing those who speak for the powerless reflects guilt, not power.
She told the Associated Press that the sanctions were designed to undermine her mission.
On Wednesday, the US State Department imposed sanctions on Albanese, accusing her of influencing the ICC’s decision to issue arrest warrants for Israeli leaders over alleged war crimes and genocide in Gaza.
Albanese responded by affirming her commitment to continue her work despite the sanctions.
She questioned the rationale behind the sanctions, asking if it was for exposing genocide or criticizing the system, noting that her facts were never disputed.
In a message to Al Jazeera, she described the US move as “mafia-style intimidation.”
On Thursday, she posted calls for unity and urged the world to keep its focus on Gaza’s humanitarian crisis.
She highlighted the suffering of children dying from starvation and families being bombed while searching for food.
Speaking to Middle East Eye, Albanese said her work had clearly struck a nerve.
She expressed concern over the UN’s inability to intervene while people in Gaza continue to die.
Palestinian groups and global rights advocates condemned the US sanctions against Albanese.
Hamas criticized the move, calling it evidence of US bias toward Israeli war crimes.
The group said such actions undermine international law and embolden Israeli leaders to continue their atrocities.
Hamas urged the US to change its policies, which it said make Washington complicit in the killing of civilians in Gaza.
UN rights chief Volker Turk called for an end to threats against UN and ICC officials, including Albanese.
Dylan Williams from the Center for International Policy described the sanctions as “rogue state behavior.”
Liz Evenson of Human Rights Watch said the US was trying to silence Albanese for doing her job and called on governments to resist efforts to block justice.
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