3 weeks ago
A national judge connected Wednesday temporarily blocked US sanctions against Francesca Albanese, a UN master connected nan Palestinian territories, uncovering that nan Trump administration apt violated her free reside authorities by imposing nan measures aft she criticized US state Israel’s warfare connected Gaza.
The sanctions barred her from entering nan US and banking there. Albanese, an Italian lawyer who is UN typical rapporteur connected nan Israel-occupied Palestinian territories, recommended nan world criminal tribunal prosecute warfare crimes prosecutions against Israeli and US nationals.
US caput of authorities Marco Rubio imposed nan sanctions connected Albanese successful July 2025, pursuing an executive bid by Trump authorizing specified action against individuals progressive pinch nan ICC’s investigation of Israel’s actions successful Gaza.
Albanese’s hubby and daughter, who is simply a US citizen, sued nan Trump management successful February, alleging that nan US sanctions are “effectively debanking her and making it astir intolerable to meet nan needs of her regular life”.
US territory judge Richard Leon successful Washington DC recovered that Albanese’s residency extracurricular nan US does not undercut her protections nether nan first amendment of nan US constitution and that nan Trump management sought to modulate her reside because of nan “idea aliases connection expressed”.
“Albanese has done thing much than speak!” Leon wrote successful his opinion. “It is undisputed that her recommendations person nary binding effect connected nan ICC’s actions-they are thing much than her opinion.”
Albanese has described sanctions arsenic portion of a broader US strategy to weaken world accountability mechanisms.
Reuters contributed reporting
