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Friday, July 11, 2025
‘It will have a chilling effect’: UN rapporteur says US sanctions may inhibit her travel elsewhere
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The top UN expert on Palestinian rights says that the US decision to place her under sanctions could have a “chilling effect” on people who engage with her and restrict her movements, but that she planned to continue her work.
On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that Francesca Albanese would be added to the US sanctions list for her actions, which he described as prompting illegitimate prosecutions of Israelis at the International Criminal Court.
Albanese says she now faces asset freezes and potential travel restrictions, warning that the US decision could set a “dangerous” precedent for human rights defenders worldwide.
“There are no red lines anymore … It is scary,” she tells Reuters via video link from Bosnia, where she was attending events for the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide.
“It might block me from moving around. It will have a chilling effect on people normally engaging with me because for American citizens or for green card holders, this is going to be extremely problematic.”
“My plans are to continue what I’ve been doing,” she adds.
The Times of Israel Community.