Arabic version: الولايات المتحدة تلغي العقوبات على خبيرة الأمم المتحدة فرانسيسكا ألبانيزي

The United States has removed sanctions against Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territory. This decision follows a recent federal court ruling that deemed the sanctions a violation of her freedom of speech. According to Al Jazeera, the US Department of the Treasury updated its website to reflect the removal of Albanese’s name from its sanctions list.

The sanctions were originally imposed by the Trump administration in July 2022 after Albanese published a report that accused several companies, including major US tech firms, of complicity in Israel’s actions in Gaza. A federal judge found that the sanctions were punitive measures targeting her public advocacy against human rights abuses by Israel.

US District Judge Richard Leon issued a temporary injunction against the sanctions, stating that they were imposed to regulate Albanese’s speech based on the content of her message. Albanese previously described the sanctions as attempts to undermine her mission, expressing gratitude to her family and supporters for defending her rights.

Albanese has served as a UN rapporteur since May 2022 and has been vocal about human rights issues in the region. The sanctions removal marks a significant shift in US policy towards advocates for Palestinian rights, which had seen increased pressure under previous administrations.