Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, has dismissed the US sanctions against her as “mafia style intimidation techniques”, according to a report on Thursday.
“No comment on mafia style intimidation techniques. Busy reminding member states of their obligations to stop and punish genocide. And those who profit from it,” said Albanese to Al Jazeera.
Albanese also criticised European governments for allowing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to use their airspace despite an ICC arrest warrant for war crimes in Gaza.
“Italian, French and Greek citizens deserve to know that every political action violating the [international] legal order, weakens and endangers all of them. And all of us,” she said in a social media post.
The European Union's foreign policy arm on Thursday presented 10 options for diplomatic action against Israel after it found "indications" last month that Israel breached human rights obligations in a pact governing its ties with the bloc.
In a document prepared for EU member countries and seen by Reuters, the options included major steps such as suspending the EU-Israel Association Agreement and more minor actions such as suspending EU-Israel technical projects.
Most of the measures would require the approval of all or most EU member countries. Diplomats say it is not clear whether there is a willingness among a sufficient number of member states to pursue any of them.
The United States government has imposed sanctions on Albanese on Wednesday, following her repeated criticism of Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the sanctions on Wednesday. He accused Albanese of conducting a “campaign of political and economic warfare against the United States and Israel.”
The sanctions come after a failed US pressure campaign aimed at removing her from her post within the UN system.
Albanese, appointed in May 2022, holds a mandate to independently monitor, report, and advise on human rights issues in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip.
Her position is part of the UN Human Rights Council’s Special Procedures, a body of independent experts serving in a voluntary and unpaid capacity.
The UN expert has described Israel’s conduct in Gaza as “acts of genocide” and violations of international law in her official reports to the United Nations.
She has also been a vocal advocate for international action to end what she has termed as Israel’s ongoing human rights violations.
Both Israel and the United States, a key military ally of the Israeli state, have strongly denied the allegations of genocide.
Israel continues to face serious accusations at international legal forums. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is examining a genocide case against Israel, while the International Criminal Court (ICC) is investigating possible war crimes linked to the military offensive in Gaza.
Efforts to discredit Albanese have intensified in recent years. Israel and its supporters have long demanded her removal from the UN position, citing what they claim is bias and inappropriate language in her reporting.