EXCLUSIVE — A U.N. watchdog is urging Secretary of State Antony Blinken to take action against a U.N. appointee as her second term is scheduled to begin on May 1.
In a letter to Senator Marco Rubio, Hillel Neuer, the executive director of U.N. Watch, argues that the U.S. government should impose sanctions, deny entry and visas, and strip diplomatic immunity from Francesca Albanese, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Neuer’s letter characterizes Albanese as “pro-Hamas” and alleges her reappointment was “illegally” executed.
Neuer stated that her reappointment this month violated U.N. rules that require investigation of her misconduct, thereby making her term renewal invalid.
Speaking with Digital, Neuer cited the DOJ’s recent decision to allow lawsuits against the UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) as proof that Rubio can take action against Albanese.
Neuer contended that the U.S. should apply principles similar to those used against anti-Israel figures like Mahmoud Khalil, adding that “Albanese’s abuse of a global platform to spread hatred and legitimize terrorism demands an unequivocal response.”
Neuer told Digital that, legally speaking, her procedural malpractice would disqualify her from being a U.N. appointee in any proper court of law.
Pascal Sim, Spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Council, told Digital that Francesca Albanese was appointed by the Human Rights Council on April 1, 2022, and assumed her role on May 1, 2022. According to the “no longer than six years” principle, she can serve as Special Rapporteur until April 30, 2028.
Sim stated that the Human Rights Council has never been formally or informally called to “reappoint” or “renew” any Special Procedures mandate-holder, and that any nomination is made with the understanding that the mandate-holder may serve up to six years.
Earlier in the month, Rep. Brian Mast, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, urged the U.N. Human Rights Council (UNHRC) President Jürg Lauber to block Albanese’s reappointment.
In his letter, Mast claimed Albanese has “unapologetically” used her position to “attempt to legitimize terrorism, while serving as a Hamas apologist.”
Several countries, including the U.S., have previously condemned Albanese for her statements. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has also compiled a list of antisemitic and anti-Israel statements she has made over the years.
In October 2024, Albanese shared a post on X, calling it a “must-read for the ages,” in which journalist Chris Hedges asserted that the “Israel lobby has bought and paid for Congress and the two ruling parties,” making campaign donations by Zionists “a formidable barrier to peace.”
Albanese has also compared Israel’s war in Gaza to the Holocaust and, in August 2024, described the Gaza Strip as a “concentration camp of the 21st century.”
Digital reached out to Francesca Albanese and the State Department for comment but had not received a response by the time of publication.
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