The Witch Hunt Continues: U.S. Appeals Court Allows Reinstatement of Sanctions on Francesca Albanese
Photograph Source: Fotografía oficial de la Presidencia de Colombia – Public Domain
In a disturbing escalation, a U.S. Court of Appeals has allowed the reinstatement of sanctions against Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories. After a federal district court suspended the Trump administration’s punitive measures on free speech grounds in mid-May 2026, the administration formally lifted them. On May 22, however, the appeals court issued an administrative stay, clearing the path for the government to formally reinstate the sanctions during its emergency appeal. The campaign to silence one of the UN’s most principled voices presses forward.
The sanctions, originally imposed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio in July 2025, sought to financially isolate Albanese and her family by freezing assets, restricting travel, and cutting off access to banking systems. This was never about evidence or wrongdoing. It was raw political punishment for her unflinching documentation of Israel’s crimes in Gaza and the occupied territories.
Fueling this vicious smear campaign is UN Watch — a fanatical, AIPAC-linked propaganda outfit that operates as one of the most aggressive and dishonest attack dogs in the Zionist arsenal. This shadowy group has waged a relentless, coordinated assault on Albanese, flooding the media with doctored videos, grotesque fabrications, and medieval-style accusations labeling her a “witch” and an antisemite. Far from any legitimate human rights monitoring, UN Watch functions as a professional character-assassination squad, dedicated to destroying the reputations of anyone who dares expose Israeli crimes. Their tactics are not advocacy — they are calculated political warfare funded by dark money networks.
Since assuming her role in 2022, Albanese has produced some of the clearest and most legally grounded analyses of the Palestinian situation. Her reports have methodically exposed the mechanisms of apartheid, collective punishment, and genocidal acts in Gaza. Her recent book When the World Sleeps has gained significant attention for its blend of rigorous legal argument and human testimony, while the documentary DisUnited Nations captures her determined work within a compromised international system.
The silence from Italy and the rest of Europe is particularly shameful. Despite being an Italian citizen, Albanese has received almost no meaningful protection from her own government under Giorgia Meloni, which continues to prioritize ties with Israel. Germany and other key EU states have likewise blocked serious action, choosing political loyalty over the defense of international norms.
The broader picture is damning. While Israel pours vast sums into propaganda to polish its image, the live-streamed reality from Gaza and expanding throughout Southwest Asia and North Africa since October 2023 has shattered long-held illusions for millions. The colonial, supremacist nature of the Zionist project is becoming impossible to hide.
The sanctions against Albanese were always about intimidation: challenge Israeli power and face consequences. The appeals court’s move to permit their reinstatement is a setback, but it also reveals the growing desperation of those trying to suppress uncomfortable truths.
Francesca Albanese has shown remarkable resolve in the face of these attacks. Her continued work reminds us what intellectual honesty and moral courage look like in difficult times. The struggle for Palestinian rights and genuine international accountability will not be stopped by asset freezes or political pressure.
Stand with Francesca Albanese. Defend the right to speak truth. End the genocide in Gaza. End the occupation. Free Palestine.
Michael Leonardi lives in Italy and can be reached at michaeleleonardi@gmail.com
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