UN calls US sanctions on rapporteur for Palestine a 'dangerous precedent'

HAMILTON, Canada

The UN on Thursday said the US decision to impose sanctions on UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territory Francesca Albanese sets a "dangerous precedent."

"Our reaction to the sanctions imposed by the US on Francesca Albanese, I can say to you that the imposition of sanctions on Special Rapporteurs is a dangerous precedent," UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said at a news conference.

He stressed that Albanese, like all special rapporteurs, is "an independent human rights expert appointed by the UN Human Rights Council and reporting to the UN Human Rights Council.

"Special Rapporteurs do not report to the Secretary-General (Antonio Guterres). He (Guterres) has no authority over them or their work," Dujarric added.

While noting that member states are "perfectly entitled to their views and to disagree with reports by Special Rapporteurs," Dujarric urged them to "engage with the UN's human rights architecture."

"The use of unilateral sanctions against Special Rapporteurs or any other UN expert or official is unacceptable," he said.

Asked about whether UN chief supports Albanese "on a personal level," Dujarric said that Guterres "respects the work of all UN Human Rights reporters."

"Their work is extremely important. It's an extremely important part of the Human Rights architecture," he affirmed.

Stressing that it is "really unacceptable for member states to have an ala carte approach" to the UN Charter, Dujarric urged member states who have signed the UN Charter to "engage with it."

Dujarric also announced that the UN is in the process of responding to a letter from US Charge d'Affaires ad interim Dorothy Shea.

The US sanctions followed a report by Albanese last week that identified corporations allegedly facilitating Israeli occupation on Palestinian lands, including Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon and Palantir that provide military hardware, surveillance technology and infrastructure that support the illegal occupation.

The US has long been criticized for supporting Israel’s ongoing occupation and genocide of Palestinians, which since October 2023 has killed over 57,000 people, most of them women and children.