ISTANBUL

The secretary general of Amnesty International on Thursday voiced support for the mandate and the vital work of the UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territory after French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot called for her resignation.

"Amnesty International fully supports the mandate and vital work of the UN Special Procedures, including Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese. Their independence is absolute and protected from interference from states and integral to an effective execution of their mandates," Agnes Callamard wrote on US social media company X.

Callamard said any attempts to misconstrue, discredit, or place political pressure on independent mandate holders "risk undermining the integrity of the crucial international human rights mechanisms at a time when it is under attack."

"Amnesty reaffirms its support for the work of the Special Rapporteur on upholding international law, including by denouncing the system that has enabled the genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, including the financial capital that funds it, the algorithms that obscure it and the weapons that enable it," she added.

Callamard recalled that Amnesty itself also denounced the "political economy of repression behind the genocide, the crime against humanity of apartheid and unlawful occupation.

"The organization has called on third parties to refrain from providing any assistance to Israel’s illegal conduct and for states to live up to their legal obligations under international law including by cooperating to bring Israel’s international crimes to an end."

Callamard's reaction came after Barrot condemned Albanese's remarks against Israel during a forum in Doha, Qatar, as "outrageous and reprehensible," calling for her resignation.

The Association of Lawyers for the Respect of International Law (JURDI) also expressed its deep concern with Barrot's comments and announced filing a report with the Public Prosecutor of Paris for dissemination of false information.

"These statements constitute a serious breach of the fundamental principle of independence of UN mechanisms and raise concerns regarding the dissemination of manifestly inaccurate information by public authorities," JURDI said in a statement.

JURDI defended Albanese's targeted statements which "constitute a legal and structural analysis of serious violations of international law, directly linked to the functions entrusted to Ms. Albanese by the United Nations Human Rights Council."

It noted that her statements do not target any people or nation, but rather political, economic and legal systems.

"JURDI considers that, by seeking the resignation of a UN expert for performing functions protected under international law, by disseminating a manifestly inaccurate presentation of her remarks, and by simultaneously refraining from fulfilling its own international obligations regarding the prevention and repression of genocide and judicial cooperation, France seriously undermines the coherence, credibility and authority of its commitment to international law and multilateralism," JURDI added.

It warned that by publicly attributing to statements Albanese did not make and characterizing them as hate speech, France contributes to exposing her to increased risks of attack and threats.

"Such conduct is incompatible with the obligation of United Nations Member States to guarantee the safety and integrity of individuals performing international functions," JURDI added.

"Francesca Albanese presents herself as an independent United Nations expert. She is neither an expert nor independent; she is a political activist spreading hateful rhetoric, which ultimately harms the Palestinian cause she claims to defend," Barrot alleged in his speech at the parliament on Wednesday.

"In reality, these provocations call for only one response: her resignation. And it is in these terms, and with this firmness, Madam Deputy, that France will speak on February 23 at the upcoming session of the United Nations Human Rights Council," Barrot added.