The campaigns of disinformation aimed at discrediting UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, Francesca Albanese, continue to escalate. These politically driven campaigns seek to turn back the clock and silence any voice that speaks the truth and places states before their legal responsibilities and obligations regarding the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and violations in the West Bank.

As the Palestinian Human Rights Organizations Council renews its support for Special Rapporteur Albanese, it affirms that she has never acted beyond her mandate. On the contrary, she has carried out her duties in the best possible manner by documenting war crimes, crimes against humanity, and acts of genocide. She has also called on states and corporations to respect international law, refrain from complicity in human rights violations and war crimes, fulfill their legal and moral obligations to stop these crimes, hold perpetrators accountable, end Israel’s occupation of Palestinian land, and ensure humanitarian relief and reconstruction.

The Council rejects accusations that Albanese has violated her mandate or engaged in antisemitism. It calls on all states that claim to respect the rule of law to defend the values of freedom, justice, and human rights and to fulfill their legal and ethical responsibilities.

These attacks come within the broader context of threats and sanctions imposed by the U.S. administration against judges and staff of the International Criminal Court, as well as wider pressure on the United Nations, including attacks on UN symbols, destruction of facilities of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), sanctions against human rights organizations, restrictions on the work of the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the continued prevention of international media from entering Gaza. The Council notes that such actions undermine the international legal order established after the Second World War and reflect a dangerous erosion of respect for international law.

The campaign against Albanese intensified following sanctions imposed by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump and a letter sent in June 2025 to UN Secretary-General António Guterres calling for her dismissal. Several European governments followed this lead, alleging that her statements were antisemitic and inconsistent with her mandate. Officials from Germany, the Czech Republic, France, Austria, and Italy joined this organized smear campaign, which the Council views as an attempt to silence a free and courageous voice that has embarrassed governments complicit in, or silent about, genocide. Rather than correcting their failures, these governments are attempting to divert attention by attacking Albanese, whose reports and statements have remained professional and grounded in international law.

The Council challenges these governments to provide even a single piece of evidence supporting their allegations and calls instead for an objective reading of Albanese’s reports and public statements. It also references her response to accusations made against her, where she emphasized that statements attributed to her were false and taken out of context.

The Palestinian Human Rights Organizations Council stresses that the attacks against Albanese are not about professional or objective criticism of her work; rather, they are an attempt to silence her clear identification of crimes committed against Palestinians and the responsibilities borne by the occupying power, the international community, and multinational corporations investing in war-related activities.

The Council finds it alarming that states which claim to defend the international order, the rule of law, and human rights are instead defending suspected war criminals and attacking those working to achieve justice. It confirms that the work of the Special Rapporteur, like that of any mandate holder, is independent, objective, and fully consistent with her official mandate. The Council commends her courage and humanity at a time when injustice prevails.

The Council also believes that many Western governments deliberately blur the distinction between antisemitism and legitimate criticism of violations committed by the occupying power, reflecting a double standard that contradicts their legal obligations to prevent abuses, hold perpetrators accountable regardless of identity, and protect human rights defenders.

Reaffirming its full support, backing, and solidarity with Special Rapporteur Albanese, the Council calls on states to respect their obligations, implement her recommendations, enforce the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court, and ensure the implementation of the rulings of the International Court of Justice, including provisional measures and decisions affirming the illegality of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory, while taking concrete steps to bring the occupation to an end.

In this context, the Council urges colleagues working in civil society organizations—especially in countries calling for Albanese’s dismissal—to pursue legal action against any politician who advocates such demands, considering it complicity in genocide. It also calls on trade unions, solidarity committees, and people of conscience around the world to launch the broadest possible campaign of solidarity with the courageous and humane Special Rapporteur Albanese.

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