Secretary Rubio sanctions UN rapporteur Francesca Albanese after efforts to prosecute US, Israeli officials and companies.

Rubio Imposes Sanctions on UN Official After ICC Prosecution Push

The United States has imposed sanctions on Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Palestinian rights, after a series of controversial actions and remarks that targeted American and Israeli officials. The decision, announced Wednesday by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, marks an unprecedented rebuke of a UN human rights official and signals a more aggressive US posture at the international level.

Rubio, posting on X, stated, “Albanese’s campaign of political and economic warfare against the United States and Israel will no longer be tolerated. We will always stand by our partners in their right to self-defense.” Albanese has publicly advocated prosecuting American and Israeli officials before the International Criminal Court (ICC), repeatedly accused Israel of apartheid, and questioned the role of US-based companies supplying technology to Israel. In a 2022 post, later deleted, Albanese asked whether “the Jewish lobby” controls US foreign policy—an assertion she later retracted after widespread condemnation for antisemitism.

In her July 2025 report to the UN Human Rights Council, Albanese further claimed that the US may be “liable for the international crime of aggression” over President Trump’s strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. She has also suggested legal action against US firms for “aiding and abetting” alleged crimes by Israel, inflaming tensions with lawmakers, diplomats, and human rights groups.

Broad Political and International Reaction

The sanctions drew swift support from Israeli leaders. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar called it “a clear message. Time for the UN to pay attention!” Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon criticized Albanese for “undermining the credibility of the UN by promoting false and dangerous narratives.”

Anne Bayefsky, president of Human Rights Voices and director of the Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust, praised the move: “The State Department is to be congratulated for finally taking action against Albanese, her virulent and violent antisemitism and her constant attacks on the United States, American businesses and the very existence of the State of Israel.”

Hillel Neuer, Executive Director of UN Watch, said, “This is a bold and courageous move by Secretary Rubio. No UN official—purported or otherwise—has ever been sanctioned before in history. She will never again spread her poison on American campuses or enter the country. Justice is served. Good triumphs over evil.”

However, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk condemned the US sanctions and called for their prompt reversal, arguing that “even in the face of fierce disagreement, UN Member States should engage substantively and constructively, rather than resort to punitive measures.”

Secretary Rubio, in a State Department release, reiterated, “The United States will continue to take whatever actions we deem necessary to respond to lawfare, to check and prevent illegitimate ICC overreach and abuse of power, and to protect our sovereignty and that of our allies.”

The move sets a new precedent for how the US responds to perceived international overreach and signals a warning to other global officials advocating prosecution of American and allied leaders. The State Department referred further comment to Secretary Rubio’s July 9 X post.