WASHINGTON, D.C. — Francesca Albanese was returned to the U.S. Treasury Department Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) sanctions list on May 27, 2026. She had been removed from the list one week earlier, on May 20, following a preliminary injunction issued by a United States District Court.
The injunction, issued May 13, 2026, responded to a February 2026 lawsuit filed by Albanese’s family, which argued that the sanctions unjustly impacted them and violated Albanese’s free speech rights. However, the District of Columbia U.S. Court of Appeals issued a stay of the injunction on May 22, 2026, finding it legally flawed. The appeals court ruled that the lower court had incorrectly assumed foreign citizens possess U.S. constitutional rights and noted that Albanese was not a party to the lawsuit.
The court further stated that proper legal recourse would have sought an exemption from sanctions rather than a broad injunction blocking enforcement altogether. Albanese, an Italian citizen and resident of Tunis, serves as the UN special rapporteur on the human rights situation in the Palestinian territories.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who announced sanctions against Albanese in July 2025, defended the Treasury Department’s action upon her relisting. “The United States has repeatedly condemned and objected to the biased and malicious activities of Albanese that have long made her unfit for service as a special rapporteur.” He added, “Albanese has spewed unabashed antisemitism, expressed support for terrorism, and open contempt for the United States, Israel, and the West.”
The sanctions stem from a February 2025 executive order by President Donald Trump imposing measures against the International Criminal Court (ICC) in response to its preliminary investigations into U.S. personnel and allies, including Israel. The order argued the ICC lacked jurisdiction over the U.S. and posed a threat to American sovereignty.