US lifts sanctions on UN rapporteur following court ruling on free speech

The United States has formally removed sanctions against Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territory, following a federal court ruling that the measures violated her freedom of speech. The US Department of the Treasury listed the removal on its website under the heading “International Criminal Court-related Designation Removal”, confirming the end of restrictions that had limited her access to global banking systems and major credit card services.

The decision follows a temporary injunction issued in February by US District Judge Richard Leon, who ruled that the Trump administration had targeted Albanese’s speech due to her advocacy against Israel’s actions in Gaza. Leon found that the sanctions were imposed as punishment for her public criticism, noting that the administration sought to regulate the expert’s expression because of the “idea or message expressed”. He emphasised that her recommendations for arrest warrants had no binding effect on the International Criminal Court and were merely her opinion.

Albanese was originally sanctioned in July after publishing a report accusing 48 companies, including Microsoft, Alphabet, and Amazon, of complicity in the war in Gaza. The Trump administration had cited “biased and malicious activities” and “lawfare” as justification, specifically pointing to her recommendation that ICC prosecutor Karim Khan issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant. The ICC had filed charges against the Israeli officials in 2024 for alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes.

The legal challenge was initiated in February by Albanese’s husband and daughter, who argued that the sanctions were designed to weaken her mission. Albanese welcomed the injunction in a statement, thanking her family for stepping up to defend her and noting that the measures were intended to silence her advocacy. She has served as the UN rapporteur since May 2022, appointed by the UN Human Rights Council, and has maintained that Israel is carrying out genocide in the territory, a claim that has drawn significant diplomatic backlash.

This development occurs against a backdrop of broader US sanctions activity targeting advocates for Palestinian rights and other progressive causes. Earlier this week, the Trump administration imposed sanctions on four activists involved in flotillas attempting to break the siege on Gaza, alleging they supported Hamas without providing evidence. Washington has also sanctioned judges and prosecutors at the ICC regarding the issuance of arrest warrants for Israeli officials, continuing a pattern of using financial restrictions to pressure international bodies and independent experts.