TEHRAN – UN personnel and advocacy groups have rallied in defense of Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967.

The controversy arose from a misleadingly edited video circulated by UN Watch, a Geneva-based pro-Israel advocacy group, which claimed Albanese labeled Israel “the common enemy of humanity” in her Doha Forum speech.

In context, she described the erosion of fundamental freedoms as humanity’s shared threat and their respect as the last non-violent path forward.

The clip prompted sharp attacks from European officials. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot demanded Albanese’s resignation, supported by ministers from Austria, Germany, and Italy, who accused her of antisemitism.

United Staff for Gaza, an independent network of nearly 2,500 current and former UN employees, condemned the disinformation and called for ending efforts to intimidate mandate-holders advocating Palestinian rights.

Amnesty International’s Agnès Callamard criticized the ministers for spreading manipulated content while ignoring international law violations.

Further support came from UNRWA, former officials, and over 100 artists, who see the campaign as an attempt to undermine independent monitoring.