The Trump administration had sanctioned the human rights expert over her criticism of Israel but was forced to reverse course after a court ruling.
Published On 21 May 2026
The United States has denied that the cancellation of sanctions against Francesca Albanese, the United Nations special rapporteur for the Palestinian territory, constitutes a change in the government’s policy.
On Thursday, the Department of State clarified that the administration of President Donald Trump only removed Albanese from a sanctions list due to a recent court ruling.
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“The Government has appealed the court’s order,” the State Department added in its statement, before reaffirming its intention to return Albanese to the list of Specially Designated Nationals (SDNs).
“In the event the DC Circuit stays or overturns that order, the Government intends to restore Ms Albanese’s name to the SDN List.”
The Trump administration targeted Albanese with sanctions in July 2025, after she recommended that the International Criminal Court (ICC) issue arrest warrants for Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Albanese, a human rights expert, has been outspoken in her criticism of Israeli policies towards Palestinians, and she has issued reports documenting Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza.
The Palestinian death toll in the narrow territory is estimated to exceed 75,000.
While Albanese is Italian, her daughter is a US citizen, and she has assets in the country.
In February, her family filed a civil complaint in a US federal court in Washington, DC, seeking to overturn the sanctions as a violation of Albanese’s constitutional rights, including the right to free speech.
The lawsuit noted that Albanese lost access to her bank account and apartment, as well as financial systems with ties to the US.
“At its heart, this case concerns whether Defendants can sanction a person — ruining their life and the lives of their loved ones, including their citizen daughter — because Defendants disagree with their recommendations or fear their persuasiveness,” the lawsuit said.
On May 13, US District Judge Richard Leon sided with the plaintiffs, issuing a preliminary injunction to block the sanctions against Albanese.
Leon, who was appointed by Republican President George W Bush, said in his decision that the government had sought to regulate Albanese because of the “idea or message expressed” in her speech.
“Albanese has done nothing more than speak,” the judge wrote. “It is undisputed that her recommendations have no binding effect on the ICC’s actions – they are nothing more than her opinion.”
Albanese is one of several international figures, including ICC judges, targeted by the US with retaliatory sanctions due to their involvement in cases concerning alleged rights abuses by Israeli forces.
A large number of rights groups, experts and scholars have echoed Albanese’s conclusion that Israel’s actions in Gaza constitute a genocide.
But the Trump administration has accused her of “biased and malicious activities” that have “made her unfit for service”. It has also accused the ICC of “lawfare” for issuing an arrest warrant against Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.