A South African justice official, acting without ministerial authorization, facilitated service of a defamation lawsuit filed by Christian Zionist organizations in Colorado. Following this distasteful stunt, South Africa's Justice Minister swiftly apologized for the procedural breach, which violated the Superior Court Act. The incident compounds mounting pressure on the Italian diplomat, who faces U.S. sanctions under Executive Order 14203, freezing her American assets and barring her entry since July.

A report from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights indicates that independent UN human rights experts have been subjected to intolerable acts of intimidation, threats, and personal assaults while fulfilling their responsibilities to safeguard and advance human rights. The Coordination Committee of Special Procedures, which consists of six independent experts, released a statement in 2024 condemning verbal assaults, derogatory social media campaigns, and aggressive remarks from State officials and civil society. This comes at a crucial time when Special Rapporteurs, Independent Experts, and Working Groups appointed by the UN Human Rights Council are at the forefront of addressing emerging crises and challenges, especially the ongoing genocide in Gaza, Palestine.

The authorization for service documentation was shared on X/Twitter by Mark Goldfeder, Director of the National Jewish Advocacy Center (NJAC), which is thought to be involved in the legal actions. On September 8, the NJAC filed a complaint against Albanese in the District Court of Colorado (US) on behalf of two Christian Zionist organizations, specifically the Christian Friends of Israeli Communities (CFOIC) and Christians for Israel USA (C4i), which are reportedly suing the UN Special Rapporteur for defamation, trade libel, and intentional interference with prospective economic advantage.

Unimpressed by this stunt, the Nelson Mandela Foundation issued a Press Statement, politely calling the incident regrettable.

DOCUMENT: Nelson Mandela Foundation Press Statement (Source: The Nelson Mandela Foundation)

When Speaking Truth Becomes a Crime: How the US and Israel Are Silencing UN Experts

When Francesca Albanese checked her phone in July, the message was clear: speak out about Gaza, and pay the price. The Italian lawyer and UN Special Rapporteur on Palestinian human rights had just been hit with US sanctions, a move so unprecedented that even seasoned diplomats struggled to recall anything comparable.