AhlulBayt News Agency: Iran has strongly condemned the United States for its double standards on human rights, criticizing Washington for sanctioning a UN expert who spoke out against Israel’s war in Gaza while welcoming Israeli officials accused of war crimes.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei made the remarks on Friday via X, two days after the US imposed sanctions on Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington.
Baghaei stated that Albanese was punished for “telling the truth” and opposing genocide, occupation, and apartheid, while Netanyahu—a “court-certified war criminal”—was honored in the US capital.
He denounced the move as blatant hypocrisy, asserting that “truth cannot be suppressed by sanctions.”
On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sanctions against Albanese, accusing her of encouraging the ICC to issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant.
The sanctions coincided with Netanyahu’s visit and followed a failed US campaign to pressure the UN into removing Albanese from her post.
Albanese dismissed the sanctions as “mafia-style intimidation techniques,” vowing to remain committed to justice.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called for the sanctions to be reversed and urged an end to threats against UN and ICC officials.
In a recent speech to the Human Rights Council, Albanese urged countries to cut trade and financial ties with Israel and end support for what she called an “economy of genocide,” naming dozens of complicit companies.
In June, the US also sanctioned four ICC judges over arrest warrants issued for Netanyahu related to war crimes in Gaza.
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