A United Nations human rights spokeswoman expressed concern yesterday about attacks on independent UN experts, after several European governments criticized the organization's special rapporteur on Palestine, Francesca Albanese, and called for her resignation.
This follows condemnation this week from Germany, France and Italy for alleged criticisms of Israel by Albaneze. Albaneze, an Italian lawyer, denies making the remarks.
"We are very concerned. We are concerned that UN officials, independent experts and judicial officials are increasingly exposed to personal attacks, threats and disinformation that distract from serious human rights issues," UN Human Rights Office spokeswoman Marta Hurtado said at a press conference, responding to a question about the criticism.
UN experts are hired by the Geneva-based Human Rights Council to monitor and document specific human rights crises, but they are independent of the organization itself, Reuters reminds.
On Friday, Czech Foreign Minister Petr Mačinka quoted Albanezi on the X network as calling Israel a “common enemy of humanity,” and also called for her resignation.
A transcript of Francesca Albanese's remarks in Doha on February 7, seen by Reuters, does not describe Israel in that way, although she has consistently criticized the country in the past for the conflict in Gaza.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadeful said on Thursday that Albanese's position was "untenable," while French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot accused her of making "scandalous and inadmissible remarks" against Israel.
In posts overnight on the X network, Albaneze said: "Three European governments are accusing me, based on statements I never made, with a ferocity and conviction they have NEVER used against those who slaughtered more than 20.000 children in 858 days."
She cited data from the Palestinian Ministry of Health, which estimates the total number of deaths in the war in Gaza at more than 72.000.
The administration of US President Donald Trump imposed sanctions on Albanese after sending letters to American companies accusing them of contributing to the grave human rights violations committed by Israel in Gaza and the West Bank.
Albanese, whose term expires in 2028, is scheduled to speak at the Human Rights Council in Geneva next month about Palestinian rights.
There is no precedent for a special rapporteur to be removed during his term, although some diplomats told Reuters that member states of the 47-member Council could theoretically propose such a decision.
However, they added that strong support for Palestinian rights within that body means such a proposal is unlikely to pass.
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