U.S. President Donald Trump looks on as he attends Markwayne Mullin's swearing-in as Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary, at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 24, 2026. REUTERS/Evan Vucci
Academics and human rights experts were aghast on Tuesday as President Donald Trump condemned an advocate to what amounts to a "civil death."
Francesca Albanese, who worked as a special rapporteur for the United Nations in Palestine, has faced significant public pressure from the Trump administration since she recommended that the International Criminal Court issue an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's defense minister Yoav Gallant, and three leaders of Hamas for committing war crimes during the war in Gaza, five experts wrote in a new op-ed for The Guardian.
The Trump administration has imposed sweeping sanctions against Albanese for her recommendation, the experts noted. For instance, she can't open a bank account or draw a salary from the university where she teaches.
"As the U.S. Supreme Court recognized 60 years ago, the threat of sanctions can deter speech as effectively as the sanctions themselves – and this violates both the U.S. Constitution and international human rights law," they wrote in the op-ed.
"Trump’s retribution against Albanese should concern far more than those focused on Israel’s human rights record," they added. "It should trouble anyone who believes in free speech. Today, the target is a UN expert. Tomorrow it could be journalists, scholars, peaceful protesters – or any citizen who challenges those in power. When a government claims the authority to police ideas, everyone’s liberty is on the line."