US says it has not changed its stance on sanctioning Francesca Albanese
Key takeaways
- The Trump administration had sanctioned the human rights expert over her criticism of Israel but was forced to reverse course after a court ruling.
- On Thursday, the Department of State clarified that the administration of President Donald Trump only removed Albanese from a sanctions list due to a recent court ruling.
- “The Government has appealed the court’s order,” the State Department added in its statement, before reaffirming its intention to return Albanese to the list of Specially Designated Nationals (SDNs).
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
The Trump administration had sanctioned the human rights expert over her criticism of Israel but was forced to reverse course after a court ruling.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Francesca Albanese, a UN special rapporteur, attends a news conference on March 24 [File: Denis Balibouse/Reuters]By Al Jazeera Staff and Reuters Published On 21 May 202621 May 2026The United States has denied that the cancellation of sanctions against Francesca Albanese, the United Nations special rapporteur for the Palestinian territory, constitutes a change in the government’s policy.
On Thursday, the Department of State clarified that the administration of President Donald Trump only removed Albanese from a sanctions list due to a recent court ruling.