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Rights Defenders Denounce US Sanctions on UN Expert on Palestinians

UN Special Rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese gives a press conference at the UN City in Copenhagen, Denmark February 5, 2025. Ritzau Scanpix/Ida Marie Odgaard via REUTERS/File Photo
UN Special Rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese gives a press conference at the UN City in Copenhagen, Denmark February 5, 2025. Ritzau Scanpix/Ida Marie Odgaard via REUTERS/File Photo
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Rights Defenders Denounce US Sanctions on UN Expert on Palestinians

UN Special Rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese gives a press conference at the UN City in Copenhagen, Denmark February 5, 2025. Ritzau Scanpix/Ida Marie Odgaard via REUTERS/File Photo
UN Special Rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese gives a press conference at the UN City in Copenhagen, Denmark February 5, 2025. Ritzau Scanpix/Ida Marie Odgaard via REUTERS/File Photo

Human rights defenders rallied on Thursday to support the top UN expert on Palestinian rights, after the United States imposed sanctions on her over what it said was unfair criticism of Israel.

Italian lawyer Francesca Albanese serves as special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, one of dozens of experts appointed by the 47-member UN Human Rights Council to report on specific global issues.

She has long criticized Israeli treatment of the Palestinians, and this month published a report accusing over 60 companies, including some US firms, of supporting Israeli settlements in the West Bank and military actions in Gaza.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Wednesday Albanese would be added to the US sanctions list for work which had prompted what he described as illegitimate prosecutions of Israelis at the International Criminal Court.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk urged Washington to reverse course.

"Even in the face of fierce disagreement, UN Member States should engage substantively and constructively, rather than resort to punitive measures," he said, Reuters reported.

Juerg Lauber, the Swiss permanent representative to the UN who now holds the rotating presidency of the Human Rights Council, said he regretted the sanctions, and called on states to "refrain from any acts of intimidation or reprisal" against the body's experts.

Mariana Katzarova, who serves as the special rapporteur for human rights in Russia, said her concern was that other countries would follow the US lead.

"This is totally unacceptable and opens the gates for any other government to do the same," she told Reuters. "It is an attack on UN system as a whole. Member states must stand up and denounce this."

Russia has rejected Katzarova's mandate and refused to let her enter the country, but it has so far stopped short of publicly adding her to a sanctions list.

Washington has already imposed sanctions against officials at the International Criminal Court, which has issued arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister for suspected war crimes in Gaza. Another court, the International Court of Justice, is hearing a case brought by South Africa that accuses Israel of genocide.

Israel denies that its forces have carried out war crimes or genocide against Palestinians in the war in Gaza, which was precipitated by an attack by Hamas-led fighters in October 2023.

"The United States is working to dismantle the norms and institutions on which survivors of grave abuses rely," said Liz Evenson, international justice director at Human Rights Watch.

The group's former head, Kenneth Roth, called the US sanctions an attempt "to deter prosecution of Israeli war crimes and genocide in Gaza".

The United States, once one of the most active members of the Human Rights Council, has disengaged from it under President Donald Trump, alleging an anti-Israel bias.

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Arab World

Sudan’s Al-Burhan Backs Inclusive Dialogue but Pledges to Continue Fighting the RSF

Al-Burhan flanked by Yasser Al-Atta and Shams El Din Kabbashi during the Army Day celebration (Transitional Sovereignty Council Media)
Al-Burhan flanked by Yasser Al-Atta and Shams El Din Kabbashi during the Army Day celebration (Transitional Sovereignty Council Media)
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Sudan’s Al-Burhan Backs Inclusive Dialogue but Pledges to Continue Fighting the RSF

Al-Burhan flanked by Yasser Al-Atta and Shams El Din Kabbashi during the Army Day celebration (Transitional Sovereignty Council Media)
Al-Burhan flanked by Yasser Al-Atta and Shams El Din Kabbashi during the Army Day celebration (Transitional Sovereignty Council Media)

The Chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council and Commander of the Sudanese Army, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has approved an initiative to launch a dialogue that brings together all political and civil parties.

Despite his announcement, he pledged to continue fighting until the rebellion of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) is defeated across the country.

Speaking on Friday on the 72nd anniversary of the Sudanese Armed Forces, al-Burhan said: "In light of this troubled political reality, a group of Sudanese citizens took the initiative to present their vision to work as an independent national mechanism to prepare for an inclusive Sudanese dialogue, with the goal of reaching a comprehensive national consensus that puts the country on the path to stability."

He added that he agreed to provide the necessary guarantees for holding the all-party talks, facilitate the participation of the different groups, and protect their safety.

Al-Burhan stressed that the state was willing to provide the necessary logistical support as well as legal, political, and security guarantees, without being the organizing entity of the dialogue.

He noted that providing these guarantees does not mean the state will dictate the participants of the dialogue, draft its agenda, control its outcomes, or provide it with political sponsorship.

Al-Burhan clarified that "the action taken by the state regarding any of the participants in the dialogue is not considered a pardon, but rather means suspending the criminal proceedings previously taken by the state against them."

He stated that these measures represent a "temporary immunity" to create appropriate conditions that ensure the participation of the parties.

The Sudanese army commander also pledged legal protection for the opinions and positions expressed by participants, saying statements made during dialogue sessions would not be used as grounds for legal prosecution.

A-Burhan said the army was ready to engage with any serious peace initiative but would not accept what he called an “incomplete peace” that returned the RSF and its supporters to power.

He stated that the army would continue the “completion of the cleansing of the country from the terrorist militia.”

The path to peace must begin with RSF forces withdrawing from cities and gathering in designated areas, followed by the return of displaced people and refugees to their homes, he added.

The Democratic Bloc welcomed al-Burhan’s announcement to hold the all-party talks.

Its spokesperson, Mohamed Zakaria, said Saturday that al-Burhan’s emphasis on the importance of inter-Sudanese dialogue and the need to create a conducive environment for its launch represents a significant step towards addressing the crisis through a national political process.

He called on all sides to engage positively with any serious effort to launch a comprehensive national dialogue, provided that the process is managed entirely by Sudanese parties and that the regional and international role is limited to facilitation and support without interfering in determining participants or imposing an agenda or outcomes.

Arab World

Egypt, China Consolidate Cooperation by Holding Air Combat Maneuvers

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and China’s President Xi Jinping held summit talks in the Chinese capital, Beijing, in May 2024. Photo: Egyptian Presidency
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and China’s President Xi Jinping held summit talks in the Chinese capital, Beijing, in May 2024. Photo: Egyptian Presidency
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Egypt, China Consolidate Cooperation by Holding Air Combat Maneuvers

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and China’s President Xi Jinping held summit talks in the Chinese capital, Beijing, in May 2024. Photo: Egyptian Presidency
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and China’s President Xi Jinping held summit talks in the Chinese capital, Beijing, in May 2024. Photo: Egyptian Presidency

Egypt and China have consolidated their military cooperation by announcing new air combat drills that are set to start this month.

"The Chinese and Egyptian air forces will hold Eagles of Civilization 2026 joint training in Egypt from mid-August to early September," said Senior Colonel Chen Xi, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense (MND), at a press briefing on Friday.

"The training will focus on such subjects as air combat tactics, air superiority operations, and combat search and rescue, and will include force employment drills," said the spokesperson.

"As the second iteration of its kind, the joint training will further enhance mutual trust and traditional friendship, deepen substantive cooperation between the Chinese and Egyptian militaries, and contribute to regional peace and stability," stressed the spokesperson.

The joint air force exercise between China and Egypt "Eagles of Civilization 2025" was held in April last year at an Egyptian air base. It marked the first-ever military air drill between the two nations and the first time the Chinese PLA Air Force systematically deployed multiple troop types to the African continent.

In May 2024, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Beijing to mark the 10th anniversary of their comprehensive strategic partnership.

The leaders declared 2024 the "Egypt-China Partnership Year,” signing bilateral agreements on the Belt and Road Initiative, technology, and industrial localization.

Arab World

Yemen's Mokha Port Halts Operations after Houthi Attacks

Flames and smoke rise from the port of Mokha during a strike in Yemen, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdulnasser Alseddik)
Flames and smoke rise from the port of Mokha during a strike in Yemen, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdulnasser Alseddik)
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Yemen's Mokha Port Halts Operations after Houthi Attacks

Flames and smoke rise from the port of Mokha during a strike in Yemen, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdulnasser Alseddik)
Flames and smoke rise from the port of Mokha during a strike in Yemen, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdulnasser Alseddik)

Yemen's Mokha port has suspended commercial and maritime operations after being hit by more than 25 missiles in Houthi attacks over recent days, the port's director said on Saturday.

The attacks killed seven people and caused an estimated $16 million in losses, the director told a news conference.

The latest attacks come amid an ongoing Houthi escalation that has lasted for about two weeks, targeting military positions and vital facilities in government-controlled provinces, alongside an intensification of operations on several fronts.

Brig. Gen. Sadiq Duwaid, spokesman for the National Resistance Forces, said the group had launched dozens of ballistic missiles and drones in recent days at the city of Mokha, its port, and surrounding facilities.

Duwaid believes the group turned to targeting civilian infrastructure after suffering losses on the battlefronts, while government forces say the latest attacks are aimed at weakening economic activity and depriving residents of essential services and sources of income.

The repeated strikes made it difficult for ambulance and field teams to reach the port in the early hours, according to the National Resistance Forces' military media outlet, which said the intensity of the bombardment hindered firefighting operations and efforts to assess the damage and casualties.