United Staff for Gaza Condemns European Criticism of UN Rapporteur
“United Staff for Gaza regrets that the French, German and other Foreign Ministers have, based on evident dis- and misinformation, levelled unwarranted accusations against the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967, Francesca Albanese,” the group said in a statement.
The criticism followed Albanese’s pre-recorded address on January 7 at the Al Jazeera Forum in Doha, Qatar, where she spoke on human rights abuses in the Palestinian territories. She highlighted “the commission of genocide of Palestinians and the ways in which the international community has, in her view, aided and abetted this genocide,” adding that the system enabling such crimes has become “the common enemy of humanity.”
Soon after, manipulated videos and images circulated falsely claiming Albanese said, “Israel is the common enemy of humanity.” On February 10, French parliamentarians repeated these false claims in a letter to Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, calling for sanctions against Albanese and her removal from the UN mandate.
Germany, Austria, Italy, and the Czech Republic also publicly criticized her remarks, although one Austrian minister later deleted a social media post, the statement noted.
United Staff for Gaza condemned European ministers for accepting distorted accounts without verification, stating, “We express alarm that the French, German and other Foreign Ministers appear to have uncritically accepted as fact clear distortions of Special Rapporteur Albanese’s remarks. We encourage them to consider the evidence and retract their statements of condemnation.”
The group further denounced “dis- and misinformation and other hostile actions” aimed at Albanese, the International Criminal Court (ICC), and the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA). It cited that Albanese, along with 11 ICC judges and prosecutors, “have been sanctioned by the United States of America,” while UNRWA has faced “violence, obstruction, and rampant disinformation” from the Israeli government.
Urging international backing for Albanese, the ICC, and UNRWA, United Staff for Gaza called on all Human Rights Council members “to maintain their commitment to the integrity of the system of special procedures.”
The group also stressed that “the international community must remain seized, and step up its condemnations of the relentlessly inhumane and illegal acts perpetrated by the Government of Israel against the Palestinian people,” pointing to ongoing bombings in Gaza, restrictions on humanitarian aid, and forced displacement in the occupied West Bank.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
