Sanctions prevent her from traveling to the United States or accessing her bank accounts.

On Thursday, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Palestine Francesca Albanese’s family filed a civil lawsuit against the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump for imposing sanctions on the expert.

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The lawsuit, filed in a federal court in Washington, directly names Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Attorney General Pam Bondi, requesting that the measures taken with Albanese be declared unconstitutional.

It argues that the Trump administration violated fundamental rights such as “freedom of expression” and “due process,” protected by the First, Fourth, and Fifth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution.

The complaint acknowledges that these sanctions seek to silence “dissenting opinions” and “violate citizens’ constitutional rights.” Albanese’s husband, Massimiliano Cali, and her US-based daughter filed the suit, as UN rules prevent the Special Rapporteur from initiating legal proceedings on her own behalf.

The plaintiffs allege that the sanctions prevent them from traveling to the United States, accessing bank accounts, and recovering their apartment in Washington, which severely impacts their family life.

The U.S. State Department defended the sanctions as “legal and appropriate,” accusing Albanese of supporting antisemitism, terrorism, and engaging in “lawfare” against U.S. interests.

Rubio announced the sanctions in July 2025, noting that Albanese had accused Israel of war crimes and genocide in the Gaza Strip.

He stated that Albanese’s “political and economic campaign” against the United States and Israel “would not be tolerated.”

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the sanctions “unacceptable” and “a dangerous precedent,” while Amnesty International and several human rights organizations also condemned the measures.

Albanese stated that these sanctions represent the “culmination of unnecessary harassment” and underscored the impact these actions have on her personal life and work.

teleSUR: JP

Source: EFE

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