US Re-adds UN Expert Francesca Albanese to Sanctions List

The United States has re-added Francesca Albanese, the United Nations special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, to a list of sanctioned individuals, according to a notice published on the US Treasury Department’s website on Wednesday.

Albanese had briefly been removed from the sanctions list earlier this month in what the Trump administration described as a temporary measure. Her reappearance on the list signals a continuation of Washington’s punitive stance toward the UN expert, who has frequently criticised Israeli actions in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories.

The Treasury notice did not immediately provide additional details on the reasons for reinstating the sanctions or whether any new restrictions had been imposed.

Albanese, an Italian human rights lawyer, has served as the UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967. In recent months, she has drawn strong criticism from US and Israeli officials over her statements and reports concerning Israel’s military operations and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

The Trump administration has previously accused some UN officials and agencies of bias against Israel, leading to repeated clashes with international human rights bodies and multilateral institutions.

Neither Albanese nor representatives of the United Nations immediately responded to the latest development.