UN Body Denounces Disinformation Attacks on Palestinian Rights Expert

UN's Response to Political Pressure

By Olivia Le Poidevin

Background on Albanese's Criticism

GENEVA, Feb 17 (Reuters) - An independent United Nations body on Tuesday condemned what it described as vicious attacks based on disinformation by several European ministers against the organisation's special rapporteur for Palestine, Francesca Albanese.

Statements from European Officials

In the past week several European countries, including Germany, France and Italy, called for Albanese’s resignation over her alleged criticism of Israel. Albanese, an Italian lawyer, denies making the remarks.

Implications for Human Rights Advocacy

On Friday, the Czech Republic's Foreign Minister Petr Macinka quoted Albanese on X as having called Israel a "common enemy of humanity", and he also called for her resignation.

A transcript of Albanese's remarks made in Doha on February 7 seen by Reuters did not characterise Israel in this way, although she has consistently criticised the country in the past over the Gaza conflict.

The UN Coordination Committee - a body of six independent experts which coordinates and facilitates the work of Special Rapporteurs - accused European ministers of relying on "manufactured facts".

"Instead of demanding Ms Albanese's resignation for performing her mandate...these government representatives should join forces to hold accountable, including before the International Criminal Court, leaders and officials accused of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza," the Committee said.

It said the pressure exerted on Albanese was part of an increasing trend of politically motivated and malicious attacks against independent human rights experts, U.N. officials and judges of international courts.

U.S. President Donald Trump's administration imposed sanctions on Albanese after she wrote letters to U.S. companies accusing them of contributing to gross human rights violations by Israel in Gaza and the West Bank.

U.N. experts are commissioned by the Geneva-based Human Rights Council to monitor and document specific human rights crises but are independent of the organisation itself.

There is no precedent for removing a special rapporteur during their term, although diplomats said that states on the 47-member council could in theory propose a motion to do so.

However, they said strong support for Palestinian rights within the body means that such a motion was unlikely to pass.

(Reporting by Olivia Le Poidevin; additional reporting Emma FargeEditing by Gareth Jones)