The US authorities have restored previously lifted sanctions against Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories.
This was announced in a statement published on the website of the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the US Treasury Department.
According to the document, the US authorities have restored the list of sanctions against Albanese, in particular those related to the activities of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
On May 20, the US Treasury Department announced the lifting of restrictions against Albanese. Administration officials in Washington indicated that this was a temporary measure. It follows the suspension of US sanctions against the UN special rapporteur on May 14 by the US District Court in Washington. After reviewing the case documents, the court concluded that the restrictions violated Albanese’s First Amendment right to freedom of speech because of her criticism of Israel’s policies in the Gaza Strip. The US government challenged this decision in an appeals court, which overturned the district court’s previous decision.
The US imposed restrictions on the UN special rapporteur in July 2025. The restrictions stem from Israeli and US accusations against Albanese of spreading anti-Semitic views and supporting terrorist organizations. According to the administration in Washington, Albanese has facilitated proceedings by the International Criminal Court against American and Israeli citizens.