Yasin Gungor
29 December 2025•Update: 29 December 2025
ISTANBUL
The US’ prestigious Georgetown University has severed its affiliation with the UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, who was sanctioned by the Trump administration in July.
The university removed Francesca Albanese from the affiliated scholars list for its Institute for the Study of International Migration. Located in Washington, DC, the US capital, Georgetown is famed for its public policy and international relations programs.
Albanese said on US social media company X that Georgetown's decision to end her decade-long affiliation is "yet another fallout of the sanctions the US imposed on me last July for exposing Israel's genocide and the complicity of US businesses."
"Any other explanation is the usual laughable propaganda of the pro-genocide minions," she added.
The university did not immediately respond to Anadolu's request for comment, but in an earlier statement, Anna Maria Mayda, the migration institute’s director, said: “US institutions are prohibited by federal law from affiliating with individuals subject to US sanctions.” Some, however, may see the move as kowtowing to Trump administration pressure, especially on Palestinian advocacy, which the administration has been hostile towards.
The US imposed sanctions on Albanese in July, citing her "efforts to prompt" International Criminal Court (ICC) action against US and Israeli officials.
The sanctions followed a report by Albanese that identified corporations allegedly facilitating Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands, including Microsoft, Alphabet (Google’s parent company), Amazon, and Palantir, which provide military hardware, surveillance technology, and infrastructure that support the illegal occupation.
The UN said the US decision sets a "dangerous precedent."
Sanctioning investigators like Albanese weakens international law just when accountability is sorely needed, according to legal analysts and rights groups.
