A US federal judge has temporarily suspended sanctions imposed by Washington on Francesca Albanese, the United Nations special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories.
Albanese was sanctioned by the United States in July 2025 after publicly criticising Washingtonâs policy on Gaza and its support for Israel during the war in Palestinian territories.
At the time, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the UN expertâs remarks and said she had urged the International Criminal Court to issue arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Italian-born rights expert, who took up the role in 2022, has repeatedly accused Israel of committing âgenocideâ against Palestinians in Gaza, drawing strong criticism from Israel and several allied countries.
In a ruling issued on Wednesday, US District Judge Richard Leon approved a preliminary injunction against the sanctions, according to court documents reviewed by AFP.
âProtecting the freedom of speech is âalwaysâ in the public interest,â Leon wrote in an opinion accompanying the order.
Albanese welcomed the courtâs decision and reacted on social media, saying the sanctions had been âcalculated to weaken my missionâ when they were first introduced.
âThanks to my daughter and my husband for stepping up to defend me, and everyone who has helped so far,â Albanese wrote on X. âTogether we are one.â
UN special rapporteurs such as Albanese are independent experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council, though they do not officially represent the United Nations itself.
