US federal judge blocks US sanctions against UN's Francesca Albanese
A federal judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked US sanctions against United Nations Special Rapporteur on Palestine Francesca Albanese, saying that Donald Trump's administration likely violated her free-speech rights.
Albanese was sanctioned in July 2025 following her public criticism of Israel’s war in Gaza. In a scathing report published on 30 June, she named more than 60 companies – including Google, Amazon and Microsoft – that she said were involved in "the transformation of Israel’s economy of occupation into an economy of genocide".
The report called for the International Criminal Court (ICC) and national judicial systems to pursue investigations and prosecute corporate executives and companies. It also called on the United Nations' member states to pursue sanctions and asset freezes.
US District Judge Richard Leon said "protecting the freedom of speech is 'always' in the public interest" in an opinion accompanying the court order, as he granted a preliminary injunction against the sanctions.
As a result of the sanction, the UN expert was barred from entering the US and banking there.
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Albanese’s husband, Massimiliano Cali, a senior economist for the World Bank in Tunisia, sued the Trump administration on behalf of himself, Albanese and their daughter, a US citizen, over the sanctions it imposed on her.
The civil complaint argued that the administration unreasonably seized Albanese's property without due process, violated sanctions laws, and effectively debanked her, making it nearly impossible for her to meet the needs of her daily life.
The judge found that Albanese’s residency outside the US does 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".
"Thanks to my daughter and my husband for stepping up to defend me, and everyone who has helped so far. Together we are One," Albanese said in a post on X.
BREAKING! US court ha suspended the US sanctions against me!
— Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt (@FranceskAlbs) May 13, 2026
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
The decision comes after Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez awarded the Order of Civil Merit to the special rapporteur on 7 May, in an apparent show of solidarity.
A day earlier, Sanchez also formally requested the European Commission activate the EU’s Blocking Statute to shield the ICC and the United Nations from US sanctions.
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