A US federal judge has temporarily blocked sanctions imposed on a United Nations expert after ruling that the measures likely violated her right to free speech, reported by Agencies.
Judge Richard Leon issued the order on Wednesday in favor of Francesca Albanese, the UN’s special rapporteur on the Palestinian territories. The sanctions had been introduced by the Trump administration after Albanese publicly criticized Israel’s war in Gaza and US support for it.
The restrictions barred Albanese from entering the United States and prevented her from accessing banking services there. In his ruling, Judge Leon emphasized that protecting freedom of speech is “always” in the public interest. He also noted that the government appeared to target Albanese because of the ideas she expressed.
Albanese, an Italian human rights lawyer, had called on the International Criminal Court to investigate possible war crimes involving Israeli and American officials. She has long been a vocal critic of Israel’s actions in Gaza, even describing them as “genocide,” which has drawn strong backlash from Israel and its allies.
In February, Albanese’s husband and daughter, who is a US citizen, filed a lawsuit against the administration. They argued that the sanctions had effectively “debanked” her, making daily life extremely difficult.
The court rejected the idea that Albanese’s residence outside the US weakened her constitutional protections. Instead, the judge found that the sanctions were likely an attempt to silence her views.
Albanese welcomed the decision, calling it a collective victory. She said the sanctions were part of a broader effort to undermine international accountability and weaken her mission.
UN special rapporteurs like Albanese are independent experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council, but they do not officially represent the United Nations.
