Justice Department Appeals Ruling on Sanctions Against UN Official

The Justice Department filed an emergency motion on May 21 seeking to reinstate sanctions against a UN special rapporteur. The motion asks the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to stay a May 13 ruling by federal district court judge Richard Leon that paused the sanctions.

Judge Leon had determined that the sanctions violated the First Amendment. The judge found that the official possessed substantial connections to the United States through property ownership and a U.S.-citizen child.

The Justice Department motion states that foreign nationals living abroad do not qualify for First Amendment protections even with property ties. The filing also argues that the injunction was too broad because the only plaintiffs were the official's husband and child.

The sanctions were imposed in July 2025 after the official engaged with the International Criminal Court regarding investigations of U.S. and Israeli nationals.

The sanctions targeted the official's role as UN Special Rapporteur for human rights in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967. The United States pays 22 percent of the United Nations regular budget, which covers some expenses for special rapporteurs. The motion remains pending before the appeals court.