The Trump administration has sought to pressure international officials who scrutinise reported abuses by Israeli forces. Published On 28 May 202628 May 2026The United States government has returned UN human rights expert Francesca Albanese to a list of sanctioned individuals after a judge had granted a temporary injunction against the designation.On Wednesday, an update appeared on the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) website, indicating that Albanese had been added to the agency’s list of Specially Designated Nationals (SDN), without offering further details.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listAlbanese serves as the UN’s special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territory, and her criticism of Israeli policies has made her a target under US President Donald Trump.In July 2025, Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a statement announcing sanctions against Albanese, accusing her of “lawfare” and “biased and malicious activities” against Israel.He also cited her recommendation that the International Criminal Court (ICC) should issue arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant, which it ultimately did in November 2024, amid Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.Sanctioning Albanese was just one in a series of actions the Trump administration has taken against critics it sees as hostile to US and Israeli interests.The sanctions barred Albanese from entering the US and froze her assets in the country. They also prevented any US-based entity from doing business with her.Albanese, an Italian citizen, has close ties to the US: Her daughter is a US citizen, and the family maintains a residence in the country.‘Nothing more than her opinion’In February, members of Albanese’s family filed a lawsuit on her behalf, stating that the sanctions had disrupted her life, even preventing her from accessing her bank account. Advertisement The lawsuit also accused the Trump administration of trying to intimidate those who speak out against Israeli rights abuses.On May 13, US District Judge Richard Leon ruled in favour of the Albanese family’s lawsuit, granting a temporary injunction against the sanctions.Leo …
