US Says Francesca Albanese Sanctions Could Return After Court Fight

The United States says the recent removal of sanctions against Francesca Albanese does not reflect any broader policy shift by the Trump administration.

On Thursday, the Department of State clarified that Albanese, the United Nations special rapporteur for the Palestinian territory, was taken off the sanctions list only because of a federal court order. The administration also made clear it is trying to reverse that decision.

“The Government has appealed the court’s order,” the State Department said, adding that it intends to place Albanese back on the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list if the ruling is overturned.

“In the event the DC Circuit stays or overturns that order, the Government intends to restore Ms Albanese’s name to the SDN List.”

The Trump administration originally sanctioned Albanese in July 2025 after she publicly supported efforts at the International Criminal Court (ICC) to pursue arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Albanese has become one of the most prominent international voices documenting Israeli actions in Gaza. In multiple reports, she has argued that Israel’s military campaign amounts to genocide, a conclusion also supported by a growing number of rights organisations, legal experts and scholars. The Palestinian death toll in Gaza is estimated to have surpassed 75,000.

Although Albanese is Italian, the case quickly became tied to US constitutional law because her daughter is an American citizen and Albanese herself has financial and personal ties to the country.

Earlier this year, her family filed a civil lawsuit in federal court in Washington, DC, arguing that the sanctions violated her constitutional protections, including free speech rights. According to the complaint, the measures effectively cut her off from banking services, access to her apartment and financial systems connected to the US.

“At its heart, this case concerns whether Defendants can sanction a person — ruining their life and the lives of their loved ones, including their citizen daughter — because Defendants disagree with their recommendations or fear their persuasiveness,” the lawsuit said.

On May 13, US District Judge Richard Leon issued a preliminary injunction blocking the sanctions. Leon, a Republican appointee selected by former President George W Bush, concluded that the administration appeared to be punishing Albanese over the content of her speech rather than any direct action.

“Albanese has done nothing more than speak,” the judge wrote. “It is undisputed that her recommendations have no binding effect on the ICC’s actions – they are nothing more than her opinion.”

The case fits into a broader pattern of confrontation between Washington and international legal bodies examining alleged Israeli abuses in Gaza. Albanese is among several international officials and ICC-linked figures targeted with US sanctions connected to investigations involving Israeli military conduct.