Latest news with #FrancescaAlbanese
Observer
2 days ago
- Politics
- Observer
One woman's war on war crimes
In a world where the voice of justice is increasingly drowned out and human rights are trampled on daily — particularly in Palestine and Gaza — a courageous figure has emerged. Francesca Albanese, an Italian lawyer and academic, has stood firm in defence of international law and humanity, demonstrating a moral strength that many world leaders lack. Appointed in May 2022 as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, Albanese assumed a role not only demanding legal rigour but also moral clarity. Her appointment by the UN Human Rights Council was a recognition of her long-standing expertise, but it has been her principled stand that has brought her international attention — and condemnation from powerful quarters. Born in 1977 in Ariano Irpino, southern Italy, Albanese earned a law degree with honours from the University of Pisa and a master's degree in human rights from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London. She is currently completing a PhD in international refugee law at the University of Amsterdam. Her professional career has spanned research positions at Georgetown University, the Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development; and Erasmus University Rotterdam. In 2020, she co-authored a book on Palestinian refugees. For over a decade, she worked with the United Nations, including with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and UNRWA. Albanese has not only relied on credentials but on integrity. Since the start of the Israeli military campaign in Gaza in October 2023, she has issued several UN reports documenting what she asserts to be genocide, war crimes and ongoing violations of international humanitarian law. Her most recent report, published in July 2024, sparked outrage from Washington and discomfort among Western governments. In it, she accuses over 60 international companies, including weapons manufacturers and tech giants, of directly or indirectly supporting Israeli military operations in Gaza and settlement expansion in the West Bank. She names firms such as Lockheed Martin, Leonardo, Caterpillar, Hyundai Heavy Industries, Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Barclays Bank, alleging that they provide weapons, technology, software and financial services that facilitate surveillance, home demolitions and military assaults on Palestinians. The report represents a bold challenge to the complicity of corporate and state actors in systematic violations of human rights. Predictably, the backlash was swift. On July 9, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sanctions against Albanese on X (formerly Twitter), accusing her of leading a politically motivated campaign against American and Israeli leaders and companies. Despite this, Albanese remains undeterred. She has urged the international community to take serious action, even calling in late 2024 for Israel's suspension from the United Nations due to its alleged breaches of international law. Francesca Albanese In another act of courage, she publicly questioned the decision by Italy, France and Greece to allow Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — wanted by the International Criminal Court — to travel through their airspace en route to Washington. She pointed out that they had a legal obligation to arrest him following an ICC arrest warrant issued in November 2024 for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Albanese's stance is not driven by ideology but by principle. She has taken risks to speak truth to power when others, including international courts, have hesitated. More than six months after South Africa filed a case at the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of genocide, the court has yet to issue a definitive ruling. Meanwhile, the ICC has moved slowly on cases against Netanyahu and his defence minister despite widespread evidence and global scrutiny. Francesca Albanese has shown that courage is not confined by gender, nationality, or title. At a time when silence and neutrality prevail, she has chosen to bear witness to atrocities, to name perpetrators and to urge action. Her bravery exposes not only the crimes of war, but also the complicity of those who choose to look away. As the Arab world remains largely silent and Western governments continue to equivocate, Albanese's voice has become a symbol of ethical resistance. Her actions recall the verse of Ahmed Shawqi, the Prince of Poets: 'Among the many types of courage, the greatest is the courage of conviction'. In her resolve, Francesca Albanese has lived up to those words. Translated by Badr al Dhafari The original version of this article was published in Arabic in the print edition of Oman newspaper on July 15
Al Jazeera
2 days ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Israel's narrative cannot survive the truth, so it's silencing the world
We are living in truly extraordinary times. We recently witnessed the United Nations special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, being sanctioned by the United States for doing her job – that is, documenting Israel's abuses against Palestinians during its ongoing military assault on Gaza. But with more than 58,000 Palestinians killed to date in Gaza, the case for Israel is weaker than ever. So, for Israel's sake, we need to silence and ban everything. Of course, silencing and censorship have been the modus operandi of the pro-Israel camp since October 2023. In the immediate aftermath of the Hamas attack on Israel, they came for all those who insisted that the history of Palestine and Israel did not begin on October 7, 2023, and for pointing to the longer history of occupation, settler colonialism, or the siege of Gaza since 2007 – they were silenced, censored, and punished. Those were the days of the now‑discredited reports of 'beheaded babies'. Across the US and Europe, some faced death threats and social media attacks, while others were reprimanded by employers and line managers for criticising Israeli policies or publicly expressing pro-Palestinian views. In schools across Maryland, Minnesota, Florida and Arizona, teachers were suspended and student clubs shut down for pro-Palestine activism. University professors in the US and the United Kingdom were reported to the police for 'liking' or sharing pro-Palestinian social media posts. In May 2024, Maura Finkelstein became the first tenured academic to be dismissed for anti-Zionist speech. She was fired from Muhlenberg College after posting a Palestinian poet's work. Between October 2023 and now, there have been scores of such cases around the world. Only a few days ago, four adjunct professors at the City University of New York were dismissed for their Palestine solidarity activism. Then they came for the press. While the foreign press has been banned from entering Gaza, Palestinian journalists there have been treated as legitimate military targets by Israel. On average, 13 journalists have been killed per month – a toll higher than that of 'both World Wars, the Vietnam War, the wars in Yugoslavia and the United States war in Afghanistan combined'. It is the deadliest conflict for media workers ever recorded. Elsewhere, journalistic voices – especially those of Middle Eastern or North African descent – have been systematically silenced for supporting the Palestinian cause or criticising the Israeli government. This includes Australian radio host Antoinette Lattouf, who was dismissed in December 2023 after posting a Human Rights Watch report alleging that 'Israel was using starvation as a weapon of war in Gaza'. Palestinian-Canadian journalists Yara Jamal (CTV) and Zahraa al-Akhrass (Global News, during maternity leave) were both sacked in October 2023, following pressure from Honest Reporting Canada. Briahna Joy Gray and Katie Halper were also fired from Hill News for statements critical of Israel. Gray announced on X: 'The Hill has fired me … there should be no doubt that … suppressing speech – particularly when it's critical of the state of Israel.' Beyond dismissals, Western media executives have shaped the narrative, repeating Israeli propaganda, mischaracterising Palestinian activism as pro-Hamas or anti-Semitic, portraying Israelis as victims far more often than Palestinians, and whitewashing Israeli war crimes in Gaza. The BBC, in particular, has faced repeated criticism for its pro-Israel bias. From the language used in headlines to the disproportionate airtime given to Israeli officials, its reporting has consistently been accused of downplaying Palestinian suffering and mirroring Israeli government talking points. Staff resignations, open letters, and public protests have all challenged the broadcaster's editorial stance on Gaza. At Upday, Europe's largest news aggregator owned by Axel Springer, employees were instructed to 'colour the company's coverage of the war in Gaza with pro‑Israel sentiment'. Internal documents obtained by The Intercept revealed staff were told not to 'push anything involving Palestinian casualty tolls' unless 'information about Israel' was given 'higher up in the story'. There is more. After October 7, students at Harvard were subjected to terrifying doxxing campaigns labelling them anti-Semitic or terrorist sympathisers, their photos and personal data shared publicly. As Israel's scholasticide continued in Gaza, the silencing spread on campuses across the US and Europe. Palestine solidarity encampments saw students demanding their institutions cut ties with Israeli universities and the military‑industrial complex. They faced brutal police crackdowns, suspensions, and some were denied graduation. Universities swiftly imposed new restrictions on gatherings and protests to curb student Palestine solidarity. Now, under a Trump administration, such suppression is public policy, extending to threats of arrest, denaturalisation and deportation for pro‑Palestinian voices, including lawmakers like NYC mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani. Trump falsely labelled him 'illegal', branded him a 'communist', and threatened arrest if he obstructed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) 'operations' – echoing GOP Representative Andy Ogles's call for denaturalisation and deportation, citing alleged misrepresentations in Mamdani's naturalisation without any evidence. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that the Justice Department had received related requests. We have also seen Palestinian flags banned at sporting and music events. Individuals have been refused entry into public venues and businesses for wearing a keffiyeh. The International Criminal Court (ICC) chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, was warned that he and the ICC would be 'destroyed' if they did not drop the case against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant. Four ICC judges were sanctioned by the US government. Academy Award‑winner Susan Sarandon was dropped by her talent agency, UTA, for remarks at a Palestine solidarity rally. Melissa Barrera was dismissed from the cast of Scream VII for social media posts describing Israeli actions as genocide and ethnic cleansing. Spyglass Media Group stated it has 'zero tolerance for antisemitism … including false references to genocide, ethnic cleansing, Holocaust distortion'. Recently, performers like Bob Vylan and Irish group Kneecap used their platforms at music festivals to show solidarity with Palestine. The group now faces terror charges. Vylan's shows in Europe were cancelled, and his US visa revoked, putting an upcoming tour of the country in doubt. The pro-Israel camp also launched a campaign against the Glastonbury Festival after both artists performed there in June. They targeted the BBC for airing the performances live and pressured organisers to distance themselves from the musicians. The backlash made clear that even major cultural institutions are not safe from censorship efforts. Adding to this troubling trend, widely respected Israeli‑American historian and genocide scholar Omer Bartov has become a focal point of a fierce backlash. In an op‑ed for The New York Times, titled 'I'm a Genocide Scholar. I Know It When I See It', Bartov declared that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, pointing to the systematic infrastructure destruction, forced population shifts and rhetoric by Israeli leaders, arguing it matches both UN and legal definitions of genocide. Since then, he has been slammed by pro‑Israel factions, accused of misapplying the term and urged to be 'cancelled', a campaign he rebuts by highlighting that many genocide studies experts share his conclusion. The reputational assault currently faced by Bartov demonstrates how even the world's leading genocide experts are now being targeted for naming Israel's actions in Gaza as genocide. This may already appear to be an extensive campaign of suppression. But consider: what does it say about Israel's position if it relies so heavily on censorship? Nonetheless, it remains insufficient. For Israel's sake, every student, academic, activist, musician, artist or lawmaker who criticises its policies must now be branded a terror supporter. Every civil society organisation, human rights group or international body documenting Israeli abuses must be labelled anti-Semitic. Only then can we claim we saw nothing. Only then can we say we heard nothing. And only then can we justify why we did nothing when the genocide was ongoing in Gaza. The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera's editorial stance.
Middle East Eye
2 days ago
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Resignation of UN commission on Israel-Palestine not linked to fear of sanctions, say members
The resignation of the United Nation's commission of inquiry on Palestine is unrelated to fears of sanctions by the US government or any other external pressures, panel members have told Middle East Eye. The commissioners' accounts stand in stark contrast to reports this week that linked sanctions brought by the administration of US President Donald Trump against UN expert Francesca Albanese with their back-to-back resignations. They also come as Israel, which has regularly criticised the commission's findings, called on Friday for the body to be scrapped entirely, accusing it of bias. But commissioners have told MEE that their decisions were made internally, before the sanctions were put on Albanese. 'The resignations are not linked in any way to anything outside whatsoever," Chris Sidoti, an Australian international law expert and commission member who resigned, told MEE. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters The three-member commission was established in May 2021 by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council (HRC) with a permanent mandate to investigate international humanitarian and human rights law violations in occupied Palestine and Israel since April 2021. Earlier this month, the three commissioners submitted their resignations, set to take effect in November, with the completion of the commission's programme for 2025. It was the first time since the establishment of the HRC in 2006 that all members of a UN commission have jointly resigned. On 8 July, the chair of the commission, South African jurist Navi Pillay, submitted her resignation citing personal reasons, a day before the Trump administration sanctioned Francesca Albanese, the UN's special rapporteur on Palestine. The timing prompted some media outlets to link the two events. 'I regret to advise that owing to age, medical issues, and the weight of several other commitments, I feel compelled to retire as a member of the Commission,' the 83-year-old said in a letter seen by MEE. 'The resignations are not linked in any way to anything outside whatsoever' - Chris Sidoti, Australian jurist A day later, Sidoti filed his resignation. 'The retirement of the chair is an appropriate time to re-constitute the commission," he wrote in a 9 July letter. "I submit my resignation to facilitate that re-constitution and to enable you to strike the appropriate balance of expertise, region and gender among the commission's members." Sidoti's letter also said he was open to accepting re-appointment. Speaking to MEE following his resignation, Sidoti reiterated the same rationale. 'For me, the reason is exactly what I said in my letter, that, when the chair retires and needs to be replaced, it is appropriate to look at the composition of the whole commission and, in resigning, I was enabling the president of the Human Rights Council to do that," he told MEE. On 10 July, the third member, Miloon Kothari, a renowned Indian human rights and social policy expert, filed his resignation. In it, he referred to an 'understanding' reached during a meeting the previous week to resign simultaneously with other team members. Kothari confirmed to MEE that the resignations were a collective decision, taken days before the sanctions on Albanese were announced. "Our resignations, therefore, were not in any manner related to the sanctions," he said. 'Strictly internal matter' The commission is mandated to report to the HRC and the UN General Assembly annually. Its members are independent experts, unpaid by the UN, on an open-ended mandate. The commission's reports are highly authoritative and are widely cited by international legal bodies, including the International Court of Justice and International Criminal Court in The Hague. Over the past four years, it has produced some of the most groundbreaking reports on international law breaches in Israel and occupied Palestine. UN urged to take legal action at ICJ to uphold Francesca Albanese's immunity Read More » 'The resignations are strictly an internal matter and have absolutely nothing to do with any external event or pressure,' Todd Pitman, media adviser for the HRC's investigative bodies, told MEE. Pitman said that Israel has obstructed the commission's work by denying it entry into occupied Palestine and Israel, and that the commission has also faced hardships due to the financial crisis. Yet, the experts have not been under any pressure to resign. 'The commissioners fully stand by the findings of their reports and the work of the commission," he said. Pitman explained that the HRC's president will call on member states to put forward bew commission candidates soon, with an aim to make appointments on or around 3 November when the resignations of Pillay and Sidoti take effect. Pillay served as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2008 to 2014. She previously served as a judge in the International Court of Justice in The Hague and presided over the UN's ad hoc tribunal for Rwanda. Kothari served as the first UN Special Rapporteur on adequate housing (2000-2008) while Sidoti is a human rights law expert and previously served as a member of the UN Independent International Fact Finding Mission on Myanmar (2017-2019).
Iraqi News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Iraqi News
Iraq among 12 nations in push to halt Gaza genocide
Baghdad ( – Iraq was among 12 countries that took part in an emergency international conference convened by The Hague Group in Bogotá, Colombia, aimed at halting the ongoing genocide in Gaza. The participating states—spanning Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia—committed to implementing six urgent measures through their national legal and administrative systems. The conference marked a unified stance from the Global South, with nations including Iraq, Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Indonesia, Libya, Malaysia, Namibia, Nicaragua, Oman, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and South Africa pledging to act swiftly in defense of international law and human rights. 'These 12 states have taken a momentous step forward,' said UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese. 'The clock is now ticking for states — from Europe to the Arab world and beyond — to join them.' Iraq's participation highlights its support for international legal accountability and reinforces its diplomatic alignment with nations calling for an immediate end to violence and impunity in Gaza. The measures adopted are expected to put tangible legal pressure on perpetrators and signal a broader push for global justice.
The Wire
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Wire
Francesca Albanese on Human Rights in Palestinian Territory: 'A Revolutionary Shift is Underway'
Remarks of Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur, on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, at the Hague Group Emergency Conference of States in Bogotá, Colombia. Excellencies, Friends, I express my appreciation to the government of Colombia and South Africa for convening this group, and to all members of the Hague Group, its founding members for their principled stance, and the others who are joining. May you keep growing and so the strength and effectiveness of your concrete actions. Thank you also to the Secretariat for its tireless work, and last but not least, the Palestinian experts – individuals and organisations who travelled to Bogota from occupied Palestine, historical Palestine/Israel and other places of the diaspora/exile, to accompany this process, after providing HG with outstanding, evidence-based briefings. And of course all of you who are here today. It is important to be here today, in a moment that may prove historical indeed. There is hope that these two days will move all present to work together to take concrete measures to end the genocide in Gaza and, hopefully, end the erasure of the Palestinian for what remains of Palestine – because this is the testing ground for a system where freedom, rights, and justice are made real for all. This hope, that people like me hold tight, is a discipline. A discipline we all should have. The occupied Palestinian territory today is a hellscape. In Gaza, Israel has dismantled even the last UN function – humanitarian aid – in order to deliberately starve, displace time and again, or kill a population they have marked for elimination. In the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, ethnic cleansing advances through unlawful siege, mass displacement, extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detention, widespread torture. Across all areas under Israeli rule, Palestinians live under the terror of annihilation, broadcast in real time to a watching world. The very few Israeli people who stand against genocide, occupation, and apartheid – while the majority openly cheers and calls for more – remind us that Israeli liberation, too, is inseparable from Palestinian freedom. The atrocities of the past 21 months are not a sudden aberration; they are the culmination of decades of policies to displace and replace the Palestinian people. Against this backdrop, it is inconceivable that political forums, from Brussels to NY, are still debating recognition of the State of Palestine – not because it's unimportant, but because for 35 years states have stalled, refused recognition, pretending to 'invest in the PA' while abandoning the Palestinian people to Israel's relentless, rapacious territorial ambitions and unspeakable crimes. Meanwhile political discourse has reduced Palestine to a humanitarian crisis to manage in perpetuity rather than a political issue demanding principled and firm resolution: end permanent occupation, apartheid and today genocide. And it is not the law that has failed or faltered – it is political will that has abdicated. But today, we are also witnessing a rupture. Palestine's immense suffering has cracked open the possibility of transformation. Even if this is not fully reflected into political agendas (yet), a revolutionary shift is underway – one that, if sustained, will be remembered as a moment when history changed course. And this is why I came to this meeting with a sense of being at a historical turning point – discursively and politically. First, the narrative is shifting: away from Israel's endlessly invoked 'right to self-defence' and toward the long-denied Palestinian right to self-determination – systematically invisibilised, suppressed and delegitimised for decades. The weaponisation of antisemitism applied to Palestinian words, and narratives, and the dehumanising use of the terrorism framework for Palestinian action (from armed resistance to the work of NGOs pursuing justice in international arena), has led to a global political paralysis that has been intentional. It must be redressed. The time is now. Second, and consequentially, we are seeing the rise of a new multilateralism: principled, courageous, increasingly led by the Global Majority it pains me that I have yet to see this include European countries. As a European, I fear what the region and its institutions have come to symbolise to many: a sodality of states preaching international law yet guided more by colonial mindset than principle, acting as vassals to the US empire, even as it drags us from war to war, misery to misery and when it comes to Palestine: from silence to complicity. But the presence of European countries at this meeting shows that a different path is possible. To them I say: the Hague Group has the potential to signal not just a coalition, but a new moral centre in world politics. Please, stand with them. Millions are watching – hoping – for leadership that can birth a new global order rooted in justice, humanity, and collective liberation. This is not just about Palestine. This is about all of us. Principled states must rise to this moment. It does not need to have a political allegiance, colour, political party flags or ideologies: it needs to be upheld by basic human values. Those which Israel has been mercilessly crushing for 21 months now. Meanwhile I applaud the calling of this emergency conference in Bogota to address the unrelenting devastation in Gaza. So it is on this, that focus must be directed. The measures adopted in January by the Hague Group were symbolically powerful. It was the signal of the discursive and political shift needed. But they are the absolute bear minimum. I implore you to expand your commitment. And to turn that commitment into concrete actions, legislatively, judicially in each of your jurisdictions. And to consider first and foremost, what must we do to stop the genocidal onslaught. For Palestinians, especially those in Gaza, this question is existential. But it really is applicable to the humanity of all of us. In this context my responsibility here is to recommend to you, uncompromisingly and dispassionately, the cure for the root cause. We are long past dealing with symptoms, the comfort zone of too many these days. And my words will show that what the Hague Group has committed to do and is considering expanding upon, is a small commitment towards what's just and due based on your obligations under international law. Obligations, not sympathy, not charity. Each state immediately review and suspend all ties with Israel. Their military, strategic, political, diplomatic, economic, relations – both imports and exports – and to make sure that their private sector, insurers, banks, pension funds, universities and other goods, and services providers in the supply chains do the same. Treating the occupation as business as usual translates into supporting or providing aid or assistance to the unlawful presence of Israel in the OPT. These ties must be terminated as a matter of urgency. I will have the opportunity to elaborate on the technicalities and implications in our further sessions but lets be clear, I mean cutting ties with Israel as a whole. Cutting ties only with the 'components' of it in the oPt is not an option. This is in line with the duty on all states stemming from the July 2024 Advisory Opinion which confirmed the illegality of Israel's prolonged occupation, which it declared tantamount to racial segregation and apartheid . The General Assembly adopted that opinion. These findings are more than sufficient for action. Further, it is the state of Israel who is accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, so it is the state that must be responsible for its wrongdoings. As I argue in my last report to the HRC, the Israeli economy is structured to sustain the occupation, and has now turned genocidal. It is impossible to disentangle Israel's state policies and economy from its longstanding policies and economy of occupation. It has been inseparable for decades. The longer states and others stay engaged, the more this illegality at its heart is legitimised. This is the complicity. Now that economy has turned genocidal. There is no good Israel, bad Israel. I ask you to consider this moment as if we were sitting here in the 1990s, discussing the case of apartheid South Africa. Would you have proposed selective sanctions on SA for its conduct in individual Bantustans? Or would you have recognised the state's criminal system as a whole? And here, what Israel is doing is worse. This comparison – is a legal and factual assessment supported by international legal proceedings many in this room are part of. This is what concrete measures mean. Negotiating with Israel on how to manage what remains of Gaza and West Bank, in Brussels or elsewhere, is an utter dishonour international law. And to the Palestinians and those from all corners of the world standing by them, often at great cost and sacrifice, I say whatever happens, Palestine will have written this tumultuous chapter – not as a footnote in the chronicles of would-be conquerors, but as the newest verse in a centuries-long saga of peoples who have risen against injustice, colonialism, and today more than ever neoliberal tyranny.
