Zarif criticizes U.S. sanctions on U.N. special rapporteur for West Bank and Gaza
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
Jul 10, 2025
Tehran, IRNA -- Former Vice President for Strategic Affairs Mohammad-Javad Zarif has criticized to the United States' sanctioning of Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights on the West bank and the Gaza Strip.
"In further proof of the absurdity of US designations, US just removed the leader of Syrian Al Qaeda from its terror list, and sanctioned UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights," Zarif wrote on his X account on Thursday.
He added that the move is "not unlike 1984, when US took Saddam off and added Iran to its terrorism list" instead.
Zarif concluded his message with: #NobelPeace4Albanese.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday, "Today, I am imposing sanctions on Francesca Paola Albanese, the United Nations Human Rights Council 'Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in the Palestinian Territories Occupied since 1967,' pursuant to President [Donald] Trump's Executive Order 14203, 'Imposing Sanctions on the International Criminal Court.'"
Reacting to the announcement, Amnesty International's Secretary General Agnès Callamard said: "This is a shameless and transparent attack on the fundamental principles of international justice. Special Rapporteurs are not appointed to please governments or to be popular but to deliver their mandate."
She added, "Francesca Albanese's mandate is to advocate for human rights and international law, essential at a time when the very survival of Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip is at stake."
"These sanctions come just days after she published a new report detailing how companies have profited from Israel's illegal occupation, its brutal system of apartheid and its ongoing genocide in Gaza."
9417
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
