The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has condemned sanctions imposed on UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese, stating, “Such measures violate the 1946 Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the UN and must be rescinded.”

“The sanctions against Albanese are the latest effort by the US and Israel to stymie independent investigations into, and scrutiny of, Israel’s conduct in Gaza,” the court said in a statement.

“If the sanctions against Albanese remain in place unchallenged, their chilling effect will present an existential threat to the mandate of all UN Special Procedures and the entire UN human rights machinery,” Said Benarbia, ICJ Middle East and North Africa Programme Director, was quoted as saying.