U.S. Reinstates Sanctions on U.N. Rights Expert Francesca Albanese

May 27 (Reuters) — The United States has reinstated sanctions against Francesca Albanese, the U.N. special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, after a federal appeals court issued an administrative stay that temporarily overrides a lower-court order blocking the penalties, according to a notice posted to the U.S. Treasury website Wednesday.

The move marks the latest twist in a monthslong legal dispute that pits the Trump administration’s national security powers against First Amendment protections. Albanese, a prominent critic of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, was first sanctioned in July 2025 on grounds that she sought to pressure the International Criminal Court to target U.S. and Israeli officials, companies and executives.

In early May, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon in Washington granted an injunction requested by Albanese’s husband and daughter, temporarily halting the sanctions. Leon found the administration likely violated her free-speech rights when it retaliated against her criticism of a key U.S. ally. But on Friday, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit stepped in, issuing what it called a procedural administrative stay that allows the government to once again enforce Albanese’s designation as a sanctioned foreign national while the appeal proceeds.

The appeals court emphasized that its order “should not be construed in any way as a ruling on the merits” of the government’s broader request to halt the injunction during the appeal. The case now heads back to the lower court for further proceedings, with oral arguments expected in the coming months.

Albanese’s sanctions case has drawn international attention, with human rights groups arguing that the Trump administration is weaponizing financial penalties to silence U.N. experts. Supporters of the sanctions, however, say Albanese overstepped her mandate by calling for prosecution of U.S. officials and validating allegations of genocide by Israel. The outcome could set a precedent for how far the U.S. government can go in punishing individuals who use their platforms to challenge American foreign policy.