The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned the Trump administration’s decision to impose sanctions on U.N. Human Rights Council Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese for her criticism of Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza.
Albanese recently exposed dozens of companies that are profiting from Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
SEE: Top Economists Back Francesca Albanese’s Report on the ‘Economy of Genocide’ in Gaza
She also questioned why the governments of Italy, France, and Greece “provided airspace and safe passage to ICC-wanted Benjamin Netanyahu, whom they are obligated to arrest” and spoke out against Israel’s torture of detainees, which she called “widespread and systematic.”
In a statement, CAIR said:
“The U.S. government – along with financial giants and corporations – is complicit in the genocide, surveillance, and oppression of the Palestinian people. These institutions are profiting from war crimes and apartheid, and no amount of U.S. sanctions can hide that truth. Francesca Albanese is a hero for exposing their complicity.
“These sanctions reflect a dangerous attempt to silence international accountability for human rights abuses and war crimes. This is a blatant attempt to intimidate human rights officials who dare to speak the truth about Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza.
“Instead of sanctioning the Israeli officials responsible for the slaughter, mass destruction, ethnic cleansing, and forced starvation in Gaza, the U.S. government is punishing a U.N. expert for doing her job.
“This is morally indefensible and sends a chilling message to anyone seeking justice for the Palestinian people.”
CAIR called on the Trump administration to reverse the sanctions immediately and to support — rather than suppress — international mechanisms aimed at holding all parties accountable for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Last year, CAIR welcomed arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister for war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza genocide. The court said both men “bear criminal responsibility for the following crimes as co-perpetrators for committing the acts jointly with others: the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare; and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts.”
Internationally-respected organizations like Human Rights Watch say, “The Israeli government is using starvation of civilians as a method of warfare in the Gaza Strip, which is a war crime.” Amnesty International concluded that “Israel has committed and is continuing to commit genocide against Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip.” A UN Special Committee said: “Israel’s warfare in Gaza is consistent with the characteristics of genocide.”
Earlier this year, CAIR welcomed a decision by the governments of South Africa, Malaysia and Colombia to prevent ships carrying weapons shipments for Israel from using their ports. CAIR also urged other nations to follow suit.
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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