U.S. Department of the Treasury reinstated economic sanctions this Thusday against UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese following a federal appeals court decision that suspended a previous judicial block protecting her.

Francesca Albanese, who serves as the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, has been a vocal critic of the military operations and blockade in the Gaza Strip.

The decision represents another chapter in the diplomatic and legal confrontation between Washington and international human rights bodies.

RELATED: Albanese’s Family Files Lawsuit Against the Trump Administration

Earlier this month, her name was temporarily removed from the sanctions registry following a decisive ruling by a federal judge. This initial judicial relief came as a result of an active legal battle launched by her husband and daughter, who argued that the federal sanctions severely impacted their family livelihood and fundamental rights.

Judicial Ruling Suspended

U.S. Federal Judge Richard Leon, presiding over the case in Washington, had concluded that the sanctions originally imposed by the Donald Trump administration violated Francesca Albanese‘s constitutional right to freedom of speech. The judge determined that the administrative penalties acted as direct retaliation for her public reports condemning the war crimes committed by Israel in Palestinian territories.

However, the legal protection was short-lived. Before a final appellate ruling could be issued on the merits of the case, a three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit intervened. The panel ordered the immediate suspension of Judge Richard Leon’s injunction, restoring the federal Government’s authority to enforce its measures.

Following this appellate decision, the U.S. Government immediately reclassified the UN expert as a “sanctioned foreign national.” This classification forces financial institutions to freeze any assets linked to her and prohibits US citizens and entities from engaging in any transactions with her, effectively restricting her international mobility and professional activities.

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Una publicación compartida de Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt (@francesca.albanese.unsr.opt)

Targeting Human Rights

The roots of this legal dispute trace back to July 2025, when the U.S. Government first blacklisted Albanese. The Department of the Treasury justified the severe measure by accusing the diplomat of abusing her international mandate to pressure the International Criminal Court (ICC). Washington claimed her official reports incited the Hague-based court to initiate prosecutions against U.S. and Israeli Government officials, military commanders and private corporations.

Human Rights defenders and international law experts have widely condemned the U.S. actions, characterizing them as a dangerous precedent of using unilateral coercive measures to silence independent international oversight.

The final ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals will determine whether the federal government can permanently weaponize its financial system against international diplomats who challenge its foreign policy interests.

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