Strasbourg, April 21 (SANA) UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese called for Israel to be excluded from the Council of Europe, citing violations of international law.
Speaking on Monday on the sidelines of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe’s spring session in Strasbourg, Albanese said states are obliged under international law not to support countries that breach it. “International law requires states not to provide support to a state that violates it,” she said, according to AFP.
Albanese also criticized what she described as a selective approach by European institutions in addressing human rights issues, saying Israel benefits from such policies.
Israel holds observer status in the Council of Europe’s parliamentary assembly and could face exclusion following the Israeli parliament’s approval in March of legislation allowing execution of Palestinian prisoners.
The abolition of capital punishment is a key condition for membership in the Council of Europe, Europe’s main human rights body, which includes 46 member states.
Albanese also addressed U.S. sanctions imposed on her since July 2025, which include restrictions on financial transactions and health coverage. She called for the measures to be lifted, along with sanctions targeting International Criminal Court judges and Palestinian non-governmental organizations.
In a report published last month, Albanese said Israel is committing violations against Palestinians, including acts amounting to collective punishment.
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