A federal judge in Washington halted sanctions imposed on Francesca Albanese, UN special rapporteur on Palestinian territories, citing First Amendment violations.
1:47 PM
A federal judge in Washington has suspended sanctions imposed by the Trump administration against Francesca Albanese, the United Nations special rapporteur on occupied Palestinian territories, ruling that the measures violated her constitutional rights to free speech.
District Judge Richard Leon issued the temporary suspension Wednesday in response to a lawsuit filed by Albanese's family. In a 26-page opinion, the judge determined that the Trump administration had likely violated Albanese's First Amendment rights when it imposed the sanctions in July 2025, finding that the measures appeared directly targeted at her critical statements regarding Israel.
Albanese announced the ruling on social media, stating that the judge had established that "protecting freedom of speech is always in the public interest." She thanked her daughter and husband, economist Massimiliano Cali of the World Bank, for coming forward to defend her, as well as others who provided support.
In his written decision, Judge Leon rejected the sanctions with emphatic language, stating that "Albanese has done nothing more than speak." The opinion characterized the effect of the sanctions as intended to "punish" and "suppress bothersome expressions."
Albanese's family had described in their legal filing the severe impact the sanctions had on their lives and work, including restrictions on accessing their home and financial accounts. The judge granted the preliminary injunction to her husband and their minor daughter in response to these documented hardships.
Albanese has served as UN special rapporteur for Palestinian territories since 2022 and has been prominent in recent years for statements regarding Gaza. The sanctions had been imposed by the Trump administration in July 2025.
The judge's ruling noted that Albanese enjoyed protection under the U.S. Constitution for her statements and that the government had not demonstrated a compelling interest that would justify restricting her speech rights.
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