U.S. Judge Temporarily Blocks Sanctions on U.N. Rapporteur Francesca Albanese

U.S. N. Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese on Wednesday. Judge Richard Leon ruled that Albanese's family is "likely to succeed" in their First Amendment lawsuit against the government.

U.S. sanctions law.

U.S. Militaries. U.S. " Judge Richard Leon cited Marco Rubio's sanctions announcement as evidence that the sanctions were meant to punish mere speech.

Leon wrote: "Albanese has done nothing more than speak! " The State Department also sanctioned Albanese's husband, Massimiliano Cali, a World Bank economist. The department banned Massimiliano Cali from visiting the bank's headquarters in Washington.

Albanese and Cali were sanctioned under the same Executive Order 14203. Albanese's report urges the International Criminal Court and national judiciaries to investigate and prosecute corporate executives for their involvement in Israel.

N. Human Rights Council, with no real authority. The sanctions imposed concrete hardships. U.S. government seized Albanese's apartment in Washington.

She was frozen out of the bank account and insurance plan she shares with her husband. U.S. " The measures extended to her home country of Italy.

Hotels refuse to give Francesca Albanese bookings due to the sanctions. Foreign banks won't process Francesca Albanese's payments due to the sanctions. " The Albanese family's original complaint claimed the government was violating the Fourth Amendment by seizing their property without due process.

The complaint also claimed the government was violating the Fifth Amendment by treating family ties as criminal. The ruling did not address those claims. " Leon countered that the government punished Albanese "by taking action against Albanese's extensive connections to the United States," including her property, her connections to American organizations, and her ability to be with her American daughter.

The administration had argued that Albanese was not protected by the First Amendment because she was not American and her activism took place outside America. Leon rejected that position based on the scope of the punishment imposed inside the United States. Reason reported these details from the court filing and statements.