Palestinian Civil Society and Human Rights Organizations Condemn U.S. Decision to Impose Sanctions on UN Rapporteur Albeniz

SadaNews - The Palestinian Network of Civil Society Organizations and the Council of Human Rights Organizations strongly condemn the United States' decision to impose sanctions on Ms. Francesca Albeniz, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, following her professional and courageous reports that clearly reveal the ongoing genocide and serious, systematic violations committed by the Israeli occupation forces against the Palestinian people in besieged Gaza, the occupied West Bank, and Jerusalem.

This American decision constitutes a dangerous precedent and a direct and blatant interference in the work of the United Nations system, as well as a gross violation of the principles of international law, particularly the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the four Geneva Conventions of 1949. Additionally, this decision represents a clear violation of General Assembly Resolution No. 60/251 (2006) concerning the establishment of the Human Rights Council, which stipulates the independence of the Council's mechanisms, including special rapporteurs, and that they should not be subjected to any political pressures or coercion.
The targeting of Special Rapporteur Francesca Albeniz did not occur in a vacuum, but rather as a result of her professional performance that adheres to international human rights standards, and her bravery in highlighting the crimes of the Israeli occupation, including extrajudicial killings, genocide, ethnic cleansing, illegal settlement, collective siege, and the imposition of an apartheid system, crimes that have been documented and confirmed by matching reports issued by UN bodies and international human rights organizations, including "Human Rights Watch," "Amnesty International," and the "Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory." These sanctions represent a serious escalation in the US government’s efforts to silence those who expose Israel's grave violations of international law and the ongoing genocide in Gaza. As a mandate holder from the United Nations, Special Rapporteur Albeniz has consistently adhered to her duty to document and condemn the systematic oppression, apartheid, and mass atrocities committed against the Palestinian people. Instead of addressing these well-documented crimes, the United States has chosen to punish the messenger, further entrenching its complicity in Israeli atrocities.
The actions of the US government represent a blatant assault on the independence of the UN human rights system and principles of international law. This continues its attack on the International Criminal Court and its judges, prosecutors, and staff. While the majority of Holocaust scholars, human rights organizations, and UN bodies recognize the catastrophic reality in Gaza—where Israeli forces have killed over 60,000 Palestinians, displaced millions, and entire cities have been erased—the United States continues to arm, finance, and politically protect the perpetrators. Punishing a UN official for doing her job is not only an infringement on freedom of expression and accountability, but also a direct attempt to dismantle the rules-based international system that the United States claims to support.
The Palestinian civil society reaffirms its full solidarity and support for the Special Rapporteur and her activities and reports, considering any targeting of her a targeting of truth and the victims of crimes and violations in the occupied Palestinian territory, and therefore calls for:
1. The immediate cancellation of the US decision, as it contradicts the fundamental principles of international law and the independence of the UN system.
2. A call to provide protection for Special Rapporteur Francesca Albeniz and ensure she can perform her duties without pressure or retaliation, in accordance with the Code of Conduct for Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council.
3. A call for the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Human Rights Council to take a clear and public stance condemning this US intervention and affirming the protection of the independence of special rapporteurs.
4. A call to the international community, especially human rights organizations and legal bodies, to take urgent action to halt this dangerous trajectory that threatens the credibility of the international human rights system.