Washington: The US Department of State has announced sanctions against Francesca Paola Albanese, who serves as the United Nations Human Rights Council Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in the Palestinian Territories Occupied since 1967. The sanctions are a response to Albanese's engagement with the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate and potentially prosecute nationals of the United States and Israel. According to Kuwait News Agency, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the sanctions are in line with President Trump's Executive Order 14203, which targets the ICC's actions perceived as infringing on US and Israeli sovereignty. Rubio emphasized that neither the United States nor Israel is a party to the Rome Statute, which governs the ICC, criticizing Albanese for her involvement with the court. Rubio further condemned Albanese for her alleged bias and activities that he claims render her unfit for her position. He accused her of antisemitism, supporting terrorism, and di srespecting the United States, Israel, and Western nations. Albanese's recommendations for ICC-issued arrest warrants against Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, were cited as evidence of her bias. The Secretary of State also alleged that Albanese had sent threatening letters to companies worldwide, encouraging the ICC to investigate and prosecute them. Rubio labeled these actions as threats to American national interests and sovereignty, warning that the US will not tolerate such political and economic warfare. In a report presented to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Albanese urged nations to impose trade and financial sanctions and a full arms embargo on Israel, accusing it of an "economy of genocide" against Palestinians. She named various companies involved in what she described as supporting Israeli policies against Palestinians.
