GENEVA, July 9, 2025 — In an historic and unprecedented step, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced today that the U.S. government is sanctioning Francesca Albanese, the UN’s discredited “Special Rapporteur on Palestine,” in wake of a massive global campaign by UN Watch.
In sanctioning Albanese under Executive Order 14203, Rubio cited her “illegitimate and shameful efforts to prompt International Criminal Court action against U.S. and Israeli officials, companies, and executives.”
Any assets that Albanese has in the U.S. are frozen, Americans are banned from doing business with her, and she is barred from entering the country.
Her antisemitic husband and close collaborator Massimiliano Cali, who works for the U.S.-backed World Bank in Tunisia, is not automatically affected, but U.S. authorities can block his entry if he is found to be acting on her behalf.
UN Watch hailed the news as a major victory for justice and the rule of law. The move comes after UN Watch led a sustained campaign demanding sanctions for Albanese, with letters to Secretary Rubio, UN chief Antonio Guterres and other officials, news interviews, social media, massive outdoor projections on billboards, and the support of more than 120,000 people who signed its petition calling on the United States to take action.
“This is a bold and courageous move by Secretary Rubio,” said Hillel Neuer, Executive Director of UN Watch.
“Never before has a UN ‘human rights expert’ been sanctioned. Then again, never before has a UN ‘expert’ been condemned for Holocaust distortion and antisemitism by France, Germany, Canada, and the United States. Francesca Albanese is an openly antisemitic supporter of terrorism,” said Neuer.
Albanese will be barred from entering the United States and denied access to American university campuses where she has previously spread her hatred of Jews and support for Hamas terrorism.
Albanese has accused the ‘Jewish lobby’ of controlling America,” said Neuer. “In January 2015, she blamed the CIA and Mossad for the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attack. On October 7, while Hamas was still massacring Israeli civilians, she justified the violence by tweeting that it must be ‘put in context.’ Today, justice is served. Good triumphs over evil.”
Last Thursday, in a debate at the United Nations Human Rights Council, UN Watch’s Hillel Neuer confronted Francesca Albanese for ignoring terrorism and taking funding from pro-Hamas groups. Video of the clash has been seen more than 700,000 times since it was posted last night on Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
The action by Secretary Rubio follows mounting outrage over Albanese’s conduct, including her justification of Hamas terrorism on and after October 7, 2023; and repeated comparisons of Israel to Nazi Germany, including calling Gaza a “concentration camp” and invoking “pure race” laws.
Albanese’s purported reappointment in April 2025 was carried out by the UN in blatant violation of its own rules and in contempt of formal objections by the U.S. Government and multiple democracies, as detailed by UN Watch in its April 30th letter to Secretary Rubio, calling to impose sanctions.
As such, UN Watch formally notified UN Secretary-General António Guterres that her mandate legally expired on April 30, and that as of May 1, 2025, Albanese no longer held official UN status or immunity.
UN Watch’s detailed report, “Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing,” documents Albanese’s record of incitement, antisemitism, and support for terrorist groups. The report served as the basis for the public petition urging U.S. sanctions.
In February 2024, Albanese was condemned by both France and Germany for antisemitism when she denied that the October 7 Hamas massacre was the worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust, instead justifying it as a “reaction to Israel’s oppression.”
France labeled her remarks “scandalous” and “a disgrace,” while Germany described them as “appalling” and “a disgrace.” Both denounced her justification of the terror attacks and her denial of their antisemitic nature.
“Today’s move by the United States affirms a key message: hatred has consequences. Francesca Albanese is now barred from spreading her poison on American campuses or entering the country,” said Neuer. “This is a message to the UN: stop making antisemites and terrorist supporters into your human rights experts.”
UN Watch thanks the more than 120,000 supporters who joined its campaign and calls on the United Nations to formally terminate Albanese’s mandate and ensure that future appointees meet the standards of impartiality, integrity, and respect for human rights.
Francesca Albanese appeared before the United Nations to tell terrible lies about Israel. Condemned for antisemitism last year by France, Germany, Canada & the US, she now says “one people was enriched” by “erasing” Palestinians. Evil regimes embraced her. Then I took the floor: pic.twitter.com/XDTlWlu050
— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) July 8, 2025
