The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed a ruling by a federal judge blocking the Trump administration’s attempt to sanction UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese for her call for war crimes charges against those responsible for the Gaza Genocide.
Yesterday, a federal judge temporarily blocked U.S. sanctions against Francesca Albanese, a UN expert on the Palestinian territories, finding that the Trump administration likely violated her free speech rights by imposing the measures after she called for war crimes charges against Israeli officials for their involvement in the Gaza Genocide. The sanctions would have prevented Albanese, whose husband and daughter are U.S. citizens, from entering the country.
Federal judge blocks US sanctions against UN expert on Palestinian territories
In a statement, CAIR Deputy Executive Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell said:
“Free speech is a bedrock principle of our nation’s legal system, and protecting human rights should be a bedrock principle of our nation’s policies.
“The federal court’s decision to block the unjust and baseless sanctions the Trump administration imposed on UN human rights watchdog Francesca Albanese is not only a victory for her and her American family members, but for free speech and human rights.
“Ms. Albanese is guilty of nothing except doing her job: exposing and challenging human rights abuses. Instead of lashing out against human rights experts for daring to oppose a genocide, the Trump administration should stop shredding the First Amendment for the benefit of the Netanyahu regime.”
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com