GENEVA: The UN expert on the Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, denounced on Thursday what she described as “toxic” attacks impacting her personal life and work, after a number of European states called for her resignation.
In recent weeks Germany, France, Italy and others have called for Albanese to step down over her criticism of Israel. Albanese, an Italian lawyer, said the remarks were taken out of context and misconstrued.
“I can tell you how toxic and personally damaging for me and for my family these past days, weeks and months have been,” Albanese, Special Rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, told reporters via video link from Jordan.
A letter seen by Reuters, sent by the permanent mission of Israel in Geneva to the Council’s president on 15 February, stated that she had flagrantly violated the UN’s code of conduct.
“As long as she holds a UN mandate, she fundamentally undermines the credibility and moral authority of the United Nations,” the letter stated, adding that Albanese had repeatedly shared antisemitic tropes — allegations that Albanese has previously denied.
On Tuesday the ambassador to the French mission to the UN in Geneva reiterated concerns by the French foreign minister of “extremely problematic statements” by a United Nations Special Rapporteur — in an apparent reference to Albanese, without mentioning her by name.
“All those who speak under the auspices of the United Nations — including Special Rapporteurs — must exercise the restraint, moderation, and discretion required by their mandate,” Céline Jurgensen told delegates at the UN Human Rights Council.
Albanese described sanctions imposed on her by the United States in July as being part of a broader strategy by the current US administration to weaken international accountability mechanisms.
The US sanctioned Albanese for what it described as “illegitimate and shameful efforts to prompt (International Criminal Court) action against US and Israeli officials, companies, and executives” in a report to the Human Rights Council.
“These smears, the sanctions, the continuous attacks from all over, from those very states who should use that energy as stamina to go after those who are accused by the highest court in the world of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide,” Albanese stated.
Albanese’s family sued US President Donald Trump’s administration on Wednesday, saying those sanctions are “effectively debanking her and making it nearly impossible to meet the needs of her daily life.”
The US State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit, which was filed in federal court in Washington.
Israel has strongly denied and dismissed allegations of genocide. In September Israeli ambassador Daniel Meron said a UN report which said top Israeli officials had incited genocide during the war in Gaza was “scandalous” and “fake.”
The president of the UN Human Rights Council, Sidharto Reza Suryodipuro, on Monday expressed concern and regret at personal attacks directed “against certain mandate holders” at the Council and reiterated his support for them.
“Their independence and protection remains essential to the effectiveness, credibility and legitimacy of the council’s collective action.”
UN expert on Palestinian territories denounces ‘toxic’ attacks against her
https://arab.news/r86jh
UN expert on Palestinian territories denounces ‘toxic’ attacks against her
- Francesca Albanese: ‘I can tell you how toxic and personally damaging for me and for my family these past days, weeks and months have been’
- Albanese’s family are suing Donald Trump’s administration, saying sanctions are ‘effectively debanking her and making it nearly impossible to meet the needs of her daily life’
UN urges all sides to ‘see reason’ in Iran-US conflict
- “I deplore the military strikes across Iran this morning by Israel and the USA, and the subsequent retaliatory strikes by Iran,” Turk said
- “To avert these terrible consequences for civilians, I call for restraint and implore all parties to see reason, to de-escalate”
GENEVA: The United Nations’ rights chief deplored Saturday’s strikes in the Middle East and urged all parties to return to negotiations, saying attacks would only result in “death, destruction and human misery.”
“I deplore the military strikes across Iran this morning by Israel and the United States of America, and the subsequent retaliatory strikes by Iran,” Volker Turk said in a statement.
“As always, in any armed conflict, it is civilians who end up paying the ultimate price.
“Bombs and missiles are not the way to resolve differences but only result in death, destruction and human misery.
“To avert these terrible consequences for civilians, I call for restraint and implore all parties to see reason, to de-escalate, and for a return to the negotiating table where they had been actively seeking a solution only hours earlier,” he said.
“Failing to do so risks an even wider conflict, that will inevitably lead to further senseless civilian deaths and destruction on a potentially unimaginable scale, not just in Iran but across the Middle East region.”
On Thursday, US and Iranian negotiators held indirect talks in Geneva, through Omani mediators, on Tehran’s nuclear program — within sight of Turk’s offices in the Swiss city.
He reminded all parties that the protection of civilians was paramount in armed conflict, insisting that those who violated the rules of war must be held accountable.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the World Health Organization, said the agency was concerned by the “grave risk to people’s health” from the expanding conflict.
“The threat of nuclear facilities being impacted is especially worrying,” he said.
“All must be done to reduce any nuclear safety risk, which may affect people in the region,” he added.
“We urge leaders to choose the challenging path of dialogue over the senseless route of destruction.”
