UN voices concern over criticism of expert on Palestinian rights

GENEVA, Feb 13 (Reuters) – A U.N. human rights spokesperson said on Friday she was very worried about attacks on independent U.N. experts after European governments criticised the organisation’s special rapporteur for Palestine Francesca Albanese.

This follows condemnation from Germany and other states this week of Albanese’s alleged criticism of Israel. She denies making the remarks.

“We are very worried. We are concerned that U.N. officials, independent experts and judicial officials, are increasingly subjected to personal attacks, threats and misinformation that distracts from the serious human rights issues,” said U.N. human rights office spokesperson Marta Hurtado at a Geneva press briefing when asked about the statements by European governments.

Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said on Thursday that Albanese was “untenable in her position”.

On Friday, the Czech Republic’s quoted her on X as having called Israel a “common enemy of humanity” and called for her resignation. A transcript of her remarks made in Doha on February 7 seen by Reuters did not characterise Israel in this way, although she has consistently criticised the country in the past over the Gaza conflict.

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump imposed sanctions on Albanese, an Italian lawyer, after she wrote letters to U.S. companies alleging they contributed to gross human rights violations by Israel in Gaza and the West Bank. 

(Reporting by Emma Farge, Additional reporting by Olivia Le Poidevin in Geneva and Alan Charlish in Warsaw; Editing by Linda Pasquini)