Once again, those who speak out for Palestinian rights are being silenced. The United States’ recent sanctions on Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, mark yet another blow to justice and accountability. Rather than confront the grave crimes unfolding daily in Gaza, Washington targets those who dare to name them.

Albanese has stood almost alone within international institutions in calling the Israeli assault on Gaza what it is: a genocide. Her courage, rooted in legal integrity and human conscience, has drawn admiration from many around the world, and fury from those shielding Israel from responsibility. Her work is not only legitimate but essential, aligning perfectly with her mandate to monitor rights violations in occupied Palestine.

The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor called the sanctions a clear attempt to crush independent voices and undermine the UN system itself. Instead of confronting Israel’s escalating brutality, the U.S. chooses to punish the messenger. This is not about diplomacy, it’s about silencing the truth and shielding complicity.

Solidarity with Albanese is not just symbolic, it is a defence of international law and the Palestinian people’s right to be heard. In the face of injustice, silence is not neutrality. It is betrayal.