TEHRAN — The United Nations Human Rights Office issued a warning on Friday regarding the escalation of “personal attacks, threats, and misinformation” leveled against independent experts, specifically targeting Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese.

The intervention follows a coordinated push by several European governments—led by France, Germany, and Italy—demanding the Italian lawyer’s resignation over alleged criticisms of Israel.

The diplomatic row centers on a disputed interpretation of Albanese’s February 7 remarks in Doha.

While French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot labeled her a “political activist” and accused her of calling Israel a “common enemy of humanity,” transcripts show her critique was directed at the “system enabling genocide,” including the financial and military frameworks sustaining the war.

In response, the Association of Lawyers for the Respect of International Law (JURDI) filed a report with Paris prosecutors, accusing Barrot of spreading “manifestly inaccurate” information that endangers the rapporteur’s safety.

Amnesty International’s Agnès Callamard defended Albanese’s “vital work,” warning that political pressure on mandate holders “risks undermining the integrity of the crucial international human rights mechanisms.”

Albanese highlighted the disparity in European outrage, noting on X that the “virulence” used against her has never been applied to those responsible for the deaths of more than 20,000 children in Gaza. The total death toll in the territory has now surpassed 72,000.

The campaign to oust Albanese coincides with increasing scrutiny of French policy. Paris continues to authorize military exports to Israel while recently allowing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—subject to an International Criminal Court arrest warrant—to utilize French airspace.

The pressure on Albanese follows her placement on a U.S. terrorism sanctions list in July 2025 by the Trump administration.

The move, which triggered global condemnation, came after she issued warnings to American corporations regarding potential legal complicity in human rights violations.

Despite this targeting, experts maintain that Albanese enjoys diplomatic immunity, and diplomats within the 47-member Human Rights Council indicate that any motion for her removal would face significant opposition, as her mandate to investigate the occupied territories remains confirmed through 2028.