US Judge Blocks Treasury Sanctions Against UN Rapporteur Francesca Albanese

A U.S. federal court has blocked the Department of the Treasury from enforcing sanctions against UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, ruling that her family is likely to succeed in their First Amendment lawsuit. Judge Richard Leon determined that the sanctions, imposed by the Trump administration in 2025 under Executive Order 14203, were intended to punish Albanese’s speech rather than regulate conduct. The sanctions were initially triggered by Albanese’s report recommending prosecutions for companies benefiting from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned as antisemitic and supportive of terrorism. The judge noted that Albanese’s recommendations have no binding legal effect and constitute mere opinion. The sanctions had severe consequences for Albanese and her husband, Massimiliano Cali, including the seizure of their Washington apartment, frozen bank accounts, and global travel restrictions. The ruling highlights the tension between national security measures and free speech rights, rejecting the government's argument that non-American activism outside the U.S. falls outside First Amendment protection. This decision marks a significant check on the use of economic sanctions to silence critical voices.