The sanctions imposed by US President Donald Trump on UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese and on the International Criminal Court sparked widespread reactions. These sanctions froze financial assets and disrupted sensitive investigations into cases related to war crimes, sparking widespread controversy in international legal and diplomatic circles.
International reports indicate that this escalation is part of a broader campaign led by Washington to subject allies, adversaries, and international bodies to American policy.
According to available data, in the spring of 2025, Albanese sent letters described as “confidential” to more than 10 major American companies, including Alphabet, Amazon, Lockheed Martin, and Microsoft. Albanese warned of the possibility of these companies being included in a UN report accusing them of “contributing to gross human rights violations” by supporting Israeli operations in Gaza and the West Bank. Reports indicate that at least two companies contacted the White House as a result of these messages.
On July 9, 2025, the Trump administration responded by imposing direct sanctions on Albanese, accusing her of “writing threatening letters” and inciting investigations by the International Criminal Court. The US State Department announced in a statement: “We will not tolerate these campaigns of political and economic war.”
The sanctions resulted in the freezing of Albanese’s assets in the United States, including an apartment in Washington worth an estimated $700,000, in addition to the closure of her bank accounts and the cancellation of her credit cards. Albanese told Reuters that she had to borrow cards from her friends to travel, and that she and her family were subjected to tight security measures in Tunisia after receiving threats.
The move comes as part of an executive order issued by Trump in February 2025 against the ICC, which was later used to impose sanctions on 8 of the court’s 18 judges, as well as 3 prosecutors, including lead prosecutor Karim Khan.
The US administration justified these measures by claiming that the court was trying to conduct “illegitimate” investigations into the actions of US military personnel in Afghanistan and Israeli leaders in Gaza.
A Reuters investigation revealed divisions within the US administration regarding the timing and scope of the sanctions. Professional diplomats called for calm, while political figures close to the White House pressed for tougher measures aimed at “paralyzing” the court.
Experts in international law believe that these sanctions set a dangerous precedent for targeting individuals who normally enjoy diplomatic immunities. UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges, Margaret Satterthwaite, commented: “It is shocking that human rights work is seen as dangerous and treated as if it were terrorism.”
On the other hand, the International Criminal Court condemned the sanctions and affirmed its commitment to continuing its work. Albanese continued to perform her duties, and delivered a speech before the United Nations General Assembly in October 2025 via video from South Africa after being banned from entering the United States, declaring: “I will not stop what I am doing. It is impossible.”
