UN Watch was quoted in media outlets around the world in August 2025 on numerous topics, including on our legal appeal to Elon Musk to remove Francesca Albanese’s “blue check” verified status on X following U.S. sanctions against her and on our demand letter to the World Bank to fire Albanese’s husband over his own neutrality violations.
Featured in Fox Business, “UN watchdog demands World Bank fire senior economist over social media posts,” August 12, 2025:
A United Nations watchdog organization is calling on the World Bank to terminate the employment of its Senior Country Economist in Tunisia, Massimiliano Cali. UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer claims that Cali’s social media posts violated his neutrality obligations as a World Bank employee. “If this was just one or two infractions, that would be one thing. But this is someone who has embraced Hamas and acted as their apologist for over a decade,” Neuer told Fox Business.
Featured in the Jerusalem Post, “UN’s Francesca Albanese loses ‘blue check’ verification on X amid coming US sanctions,” August 4, 2025:
“This is a major achievement,” UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer said, adding that “Verification on X provided Albanese with many advantages, greater visibility, algorithmic amplification, and an appearance of credibility. Stripping that badge sends a clear message: anyone who targets US officials and companies and supports terrorists will suffer consequences, no matter their title.”
Featured in Italy’s Open, “Francesca Albanese no longer has the blue tick on X, Elon Musk’s punishment after US sanctions: ‘A mafia intimidation,'” August 4, 2025:
Francesca Albanese, United Nations special rapporteur for human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, has lost her “blue check”, the sign that distinguishes verified profiles on X, after a legal action by UN Watch addressed directly to Elon Musk. The verification badge, thanks to which a profile enjoys greater visibility, has been removed following its inclusion in the US sanctions announced in recent days.
Quoted in Blaze Media, “UN associate loses blue check on X after getting hit with US sanctions,” August 5, 2025:
“This is a major achievement,” said Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, the organization that led the campaign against Albanese. “Verification on X provided Albanese with many advantages — greater visibility, algorithmic amplification, and an appearance of credibility. Stripping that badge sends a clear message: Anyone who targets U.S. officials and companies and supports terrorists will suffer consequences, no matter their title.”
Featured in Mexico’s Enlace Judío, “X punishes the antisemite Francesca Albanese and removes the verification,” August 4, 2025:
UN Watch stated that on July 31 it sent a letter to X’s executive director, Elon Musk, asking him to remove Albanese’s verification status due to the sanctions imposed by the Trump Administration last month. “This is an important achievement,” said Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch.
Featured in the Dutch outlet 31Mag, “The Italian right against Francesca Albanese’s visit to the Chamber of Commerce: when she was prevented from speaking in Holland,” August 1, 2025:
Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp called some comments and social posts of the rapporteur “inappropriate”. The criticism stems largely from a report by UN Watch, known for its campaigns against critical UN officials towards Israel.
Featured in Italy’s Il Tempo, “Francesca Albanese, now also Musk’s ‘sanction,’ August 5, 2025:
For the first time ever, a United Nations official has lost their blue tick on social media, in this case on X, formerly Twitter. It all happened a few days after a law firm representing the Geneva-based control organization UN Watch sent a legal appeal to the platform’s owner, Elon Musk.
Featured in Israel’s ynet, “After sanctions imposed on her: Musk removes blue checkmark from UN envoy to Palestinian territories,” August 4, 2025:
Billionaire Elon Musk removed the blue checkmark from UN envoy to the Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese’s X account, about a month after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio imposed sanctions on her. A legal warning letter was sent by the organization UN Watch to platform owner Musk.
Featured in Israel’s Maariv, “After US sanctions: Elon Musk hits back at antisemitic UN envoy,” August 4, 2025:
Francesca Albanese, the controversial UN special envoy for the territories, who was sanctioned by the US government last month, has lost her verification on the social network X (formerly Twitter), just days after a legal warning letter was sent by UN Watch to the platform’s owners, Elon Musk.
Quoted in the Canadian Jewish News, “Canadian politicians and Jewish leaders react to federal recognition of Palestinian statehood,” August 6, 2025:
There’s no incentive now for Hamas to sit down at the table and release hostages. That sentiment was repeated by Hillel Neuer, executive director of Geneva-based UN Watch. “In Montreal in 1970, terrorists calling to make Quebec a state took a British diplomat hostage for 60 days and murdered a cabinet minister,” he posted online. “Canada invoked the War Measures Act and sent in troops. Now Mark Carney is sending the message that murder and kidnapping wins you a state.”
Featured in Israel National News, “Francesca Albanese loses ‘Blue Check’ status on X,” August 4, 2025:
For the first time ever, a United Nations official has lost her “blue check” verified status on X, formerly known as Twitter. UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese had her verification status removed today. UN Watch stated that on July 31, it sent a letter to X CEO Elon Musk calling on him to remove Albanese’s verified status in light of the sanctions imposed on her by the Trump Administration last month.
Featured in Israel’s News1, “Elon Musk against sending the UN to the territories: The verification badge was removed following US sanctions,” August 4, 2025:
Less than a month after the Trump administration imposed harsh sanctions on Francesca Albenza, the controversial UN envoy for human rights in the territories, the X platform (formerly Twitter) removed the blue verification badge from her account — following a legal demand from the UN Watch organization. The move was made possible after a law firm representing the organization sent a letter to the platform’s owners, Elon Musk, claiming that granting a verification badge to a person who has been subject to severe US sanctions constitutes indirect assistance to the enemies of the United States.
Quoted in Israel’s Hamal, “Musk agreed – and removed the ‘blue check’ from the X for the antisemitic UN official,” August 4, 2025:
“After we reached out to Elon Musk and received a quick positive response, we are now also reaching out to Meta,” Neuer adds. “I have a draft of a letter on my desk to Mark Zuckerberg himself. We are contacting all social media networks, because according to the US government’s sanctions, they are prohibited from providing service to Albenza, especially since the sanctions are due to her quotes on the networks, which are the very heart of her antisemitism.”
Featured in Israel’s Ice, “Elon Musk is in action: Network X ‘s move against UN representative,” August 4, 2025:
The campaign against Albanese’s blue check began last month when the monitoring group UN Watch called for the symbol to be removed. “X-verification has provided it with many benefits – greater visibility and an appearance of credibility. Removing this badge sends a clear message: anyone who supports terrorists will suffer consequences, regardless of their title,” said Hillel Neuer, the UN Watch’s director.
