Quds News Network

London (Quds News Network)- Amnesty International Secretary General Agnes Callamard condemned the US sanctions imposed on Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territory, for her anti-occupation stance, describing the move as “an assault on international law “to protect the Israeli government from accountability at all costs.” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the move in a post on X on Wednesday. “Today I am imposing sanctions on Francesca Albanese for her illegitimate and shameful efforts to prompt ICC action against US and Israeli officials, companies, and executives,” Rubio wrote. He accused Albanese of leading a “campaign of political and economic warfare” against the US and Israel. “These actions will no longer be tolerated,” Rubio added. “We will always stand by our partners in their right to self-defense.” In response, Amnesty chief said the US sanctions against Albanese are a “continuation of the Trump administration’s assault on international law and its efforts to protect the Israeli government from accountability at all costs.” “They are the latest in a series of Trump administration policies seeking to intimidate and silence those that dare speak out for Palestinians’ human rights,” she wrote on X.

The US sanctions against @FranceskAlbs are a continuation of the Trump administration’s assault on international law and its efforts to protect the Israeli government from accountability at all costs.

They are the latest in a series of Trump administration policies seeking to… https://t.co/sWeAbBCnIo
— Agnes Callamard (@AgnesCallamard) July 10, 2025

The sanctions come days after Albanese released a report identifying US tech giants allegedly complicit in Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine an genocide in Gaza. Companies listed included Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet (Google’s parent company), and Palantir. The report stated that these firms supply military equipment, AI surveillance tools, and infrastructure used to entrench Israeli control over Palestinian territories. Albanese, an Italian international law expert, has served as the UN’s Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories since 2022. She has frequently criticized Israeli policies and has called for accountability over war crimes in Gaza and the West Bank. The US move marks a sharp escalation in efforts to shield Israeli and American actors from international legal scrutiny, especially amid growing global outrage over the genocide in Gaza. Washington has rejected the ICC’s jurisdiction and continues to oppose investigations targeting its allies. Legal experts have warned that sanctioning UN officials for fulfilling their mandate sets a dangerous precedent. Rights groups condemned the move as an attack on international law and an attempt to intimidate watchdogs. Former UN official Craig Mokhiber condemned the move, calling it “a lawless, vile act.” In a post, he wrote: “Rubio, your arrogance will catch up to you. The impunity that you are enjoying now will be gone within a few years, and I am confident that you will be held accountable for your persecution of human rights defenders and for your violations of the human rights of countless people in the US. There are millions who will work to ensure it.”

Amnesty Chief Condemns US Sanctions on UN Expert for Anti-Occupation Stance

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