UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said that the imposition of sanctions on Special Rapporteurs sets a “dangerous precedent.”
UNITED NATIONS — Top UN human rights officials have voiced serious concern over the imposition of sanctions by the United States targeting Francesca Albanese, a UN-appointed independent expert on the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
The officials call for the decision to be reversed, warning it could undermine the wider international human rights system.
The sanctions were announced by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday under a Presidential Executive Order.
Reacting to the announcement, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said that the imposition of sanctions on Special Rapporteurs sets a “dangerous precedent.”
“The use of unilateral sanctions against Special Rapporteurs or any other UN expert or official is unacceptable,” he told journalists on Thursday at his regular news briefing in New York.
The imposition of sanctions on UN human rights special rapporteurs is a dangerous precedent, said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in response to US sanctions on Francesca Albanese, UN special rapporteur on the human rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territory.
He also noted that Albanese, like all other UN human rights special rapporteurs, is an independent human rights expert appointed by the UN Human Rights Council and reporting to the Geneva-based council, according to reports.
Special rapporteurs do not report to the UN secretary-general, who has no authority over them or their work, added Dujarric.
Washington on Wednesday announced sanctions against Albanese over her role in investigating alleged Israeli human rights violations against Palestinians. The move marks Washington’s latest efforts to deter international investigations into alleged war crimes committed by Israel amid its ongoing military operations in Gaza.
The sanctions follow an executive order signed by US President Donald Trump in February, which authorised punitive measures against the International Criminal Court for what the administration described as “illegitimate and baseless actions” targeting the United States and Israel.
