UN’s Albanese faces uphill battle with First Amendment case seeking to end sanctions against her

Published June 19, 2026 6:00am ET



An Italian expert credentialed by the United Nations and living in Tunisia is at the center of a highly unusual First Amendment lawsuit, despite not being a citizen and the speech in question taking place overseas.

U.N. Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories Francesca Albanese has been placed back on the sanctions list after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit issued a stay this week against a lower court’s previous injunction.

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