The United Nations human rights office expressed concern on Friday over what it described as escalating personal attacks against independent UN experts, after several European governments criticized Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, and called for her resignation. Speaking at a press briefing, UN human rights spokesperson Marta Hurtado stated that the office was very worried that UN officials, independent experts and judicial officials were increasingly subjected to personal attacks, threats, and misinformation that diverted attention from serious human rights issues. According to the UN framework, special rapporteurs are commissioned by the Geneva-based Human Rights Council to monitor and document specific human rights situations but operate independently of the organization itself.
European Governments Condemn Alleged Remarks as Albanese Denies Statements, UN Experts’ Mandate Clarified
The controversy intensified after Germany, France, and Italy publicly condemned Albanese over alleged remarks concerning Israel. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul described her position as untenable, while French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot accused her of making remarks he characterized as outrageous and reprehensible. On Friday, Czech Foreign Minister Petr Macinka cited a statement on X in which he attributed to Albanese a comment referring to Israel as a common enemy of humanity and called for her resignation. However, a transcript of Albanese’s February 7 remarks in Doha, reviewed by Reuters, did not include such language, although she has consistently criticized Israel’s actions during the Gaza conflict. In a post on X, Albanese asserted that three European governments had accused her of statements she maintained she never made and said that the intensity of their criticism contrasted with what she described as insufficient condemnation of civilian casualties in Gaza, citing figures from the Palestinian Health Ministry placing the death toll above 72,000. Separately, the administration of US President Donald Trump imposed sanctions on Albanese after she sent letters to US companies alleging complicity in human rights violations related to Gaza and the West Bank. Albanese, whose mandate runs until 2028, is scheduled to address the Human Rights Council in Geneva next month. While there is no precedent for removing a special rapporteur during an active term, diplomats told Reuters that although a motion could theoretically be introduced by member states of the 47-member council, substantial support for Palestinian rights within the body makes such an outcome unlikely.