A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has temporarily blocked US sanctions against Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the Israel-occupied Palestinian territories. The sanctions, imposed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in July 2025, were found likely to violate Albanese's First Amendment rights, as they were enacted after she criticized Israel's military actions in Gaza. Albanese, an Italian lawyer, had recommended that the International Criminal Court pursue war crimes prosecutions against Israeli and US nationals. Judge Richard Leon stated that the sanctions aimed to regulate her speech based on the ideas expressed, emphasizing that Albanese's opinions do not have binding effects on the ICC. The lawsuit was initiated by Albanese's family, who argued that the sanctions severely restricted her ability to manage daily life, effectively debanking her. Albanese has characterized these sanctions as part of a broader US strategy to undermine international accountability mechanisms.