The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns in the strongest terms the shameful U.S. sanctions against Francesca Albanese, the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in the Palestinian Territory Occupied since 1967.

This step is the latest in a long line of efforts by successive U.S administrations to shield Israel from accountability and comes only one month after the U.S. imposed sanctions on four judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC), two of whom had been part of rulings in the situation in Palestine.

These appalling sanctions constitute a punishment for Albanese’s restless efforts in defending Palestinian rights and exposing the crimes committed by Israel’s settler-colonial regime, including her recent report to the UN Human Rights Council, which sheds light on the wide network of states and corporations involved in maintaining the regime and violating the rights of the Palestinian people.

Instead of arresting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is wanted by the ICC for war crimes and crimes against humanity, and ceasing its arms exports to the Israeli government, the U.S continues its complicity in Israel’s crimes against the Palestinians, including the ongoing genocide and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in Gaza, by escalating its attacks on international justice institutions and UN independent experts.

This move also reflects the utter weakness of the U.S and Israel in responding to the substance of Albanese’s rigorous legal findings. Lacking any credible rebuttal, they resort to personal attacks and political retaliation against a UN independent expert whose only crime is carrying out her mandate in a professional and independent manner.

Raji Sourani Director of PCHR said: “Francesca Albanese has done nothing legally or morally wrong. She has carried out her mandate with professionalism, excellence, and unwavering courage—defending victims of genocide in Palestine and speaking truth to power. For the U.S. Secretary of State to sanction her is a shameful act, placing him firmly on the wrong side of history and justice.

While Francesca stands for the rule of law and human dignity—fearlessly identifying perpetrators, their state sponsors, corporate enablers, and complicit individuals, the very same governments that arm and defend genociders now seek to silence her.

Francesca is upsetting suspected war criminals—and that is precisely why all free and committed people stand with her. We will never give up the fight against injustice and will continue our struggle against Israel’s illegal occupation and defend the rights of the voiceless victims”.

PCHR stands in full solidarity with the Special Rapporteur and calls on the international community to reject and condemn these illegitimate and politically motivated sanctions.