Federal judge blocks US sanctions against UN expert on Palestinian territories

Albanese’s family sued Trump in February, saying sanctions made daily life nearly impossible

A federal judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked United States sanctions against Francesca ​Albanese, a United Nations expert on the ‌Palestinian territories, finding that the Trump administration likely violated her free-speech rights by imposing the measures ​after she criticised US ally Israel’s war in ​Gaza.

The sanctions barred her from entering the ⁠US and banking there. Albanese, an Italian ​lawyer who is the UN special rapporteur on the ​Israel-occupied Palestinian territories, recommended the International Criminal Court pursue war-crimes prosecutions against Israeli and American nationals.

"Protecting the freedom of speech is 'always' in the public interest," US District Judge Richard Leon wrote in an opinion accompanying the order.

He ordered preliminary injunction against the sanctions, according to a court filing seen by AFP

Albanese's husband ​and daughter, who is a US ​citizen, sued the Trump administration,in February, alleging that the ‌US ⁠sanctions were "effectively debanking her and making it nearly impossible to meet the needs of her daily life”.

Judge Leon in ​Washington found ​that Albanese’s ⁠residency outside the US did not undercut her protections under the ​First Amendment of the US Constitution ​and ⁠that the Trump administration sought to regulate her speech because of the "idea or message ⁠expressed”.

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Albanese ​has described sanctions as part ​of a broader US strategy to weaken international accountability ​mechanisms.

Albanese was sanctioned in July 2025 after she publicly criticised Washington's policy on Gaza.

In announcing the sanctions, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio slammed the UN expert's criticism of the US and said she recommended to the International Criminal Court that arrest warrants be issued against Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Italian-born expert, who assumed her mandate in 2022, has faced harsh criticism by Israel and some of its allies over her relentless criticism and long-standing accusations that Israel is committing "genocide" in Gaza.

Albanese, who said the US sanctions were "calculated to weaken my mission" when they were first imposed, celebrated the ruling on social media.

"Thanks to my daughter and my husband for stepping up to defend me, and everyone who has helped so far," Albanese said in a statement on X. "Together we are one."

BREAKING! US court ha suspended the US sanctions against me!
As the judge says: "Protecting the Freedom of speech is always just the public interest".
Thanks to my daughter and my husband for stepping up to defend me, and everyone who has helped so far.

Together we are One. pic.twitter.com/z6L3tb7Esp

— Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt (@FranceskAlbs) May 13, 2026

UN special rapporteurs like Albanese are independent experts who are appointed by the UN rights council but do not speak on behalf of the United Nations.