UN Palestine inquiry members resign as US sanctions rapporteur
16 Jul 2025 09:32am
Francesca Albanese, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories, gives a statement after meeting with the Slovenian parliament's Friendship Group with Palestine, in Ljubljana, on July 10, 2025. - (Photo by Jure Makovec / AFP)
ANKARA - Three members of the United Nations (UN) Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory have suddenly resigned, citing personal reasons, Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported.
Navi Pillay, Chris Sidoti and Miloon Kothari submitted their resignations on Monday.
The commissioners believed the body required renewal and referred to personal factors such as age as part of their decision to leave, according to the Council.
The commission was established to examine alleged violations of international law in the occupied territories, including the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. South African judge Navi Pillay (R), chair of the independent United Nations Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem and Israel speaks next to Commission member Chris Sidoti (L) during a press conference in Geneva on June 18, 2025. - (Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP)
The resignations come amid heightened tensions between the UN and the United States (US) over the conduct of Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories.
The US imposed sanctions on Albanese for promoting "antisemitic' and "anti-Israel' rhetoric and urging the International Criminal Court (ICC) to act against the US and Israel.
The US had previously demanded her dismissal. In a statement on July 1, the US warned that failure to act would damage the UN's credibility and prompt US action.
The UN's Special Procedures Committee condemned the sanctions, calling the US move unacceptable. - BERNAMA
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