Spain Urges EU to Block US Sanctions on UN Official

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez urged the European Commission to activate the European Union's Blocking Statute to protect UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese and International Criminal Court (ICC) officials from US sanctions. Sanchez requested that Commission President Ursula von der Leyen deploy the legal mechanism to shield these individuals from travel and banking restrictions imposed by the United States.

The US sanctions, initiated by President Donald Trump in February 2025 and expanded throughout that year, target ICC judges and prosecutors following the court's issuance of arrest warrants for Israeli leaders Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant. Slovenia's Prime Minister Robert Golob supported Spain's appeal, stating that the independence of international courts is non-negotiable.

On May 7, 2026, Sanchez awarded Albanese the Order of Civil Merit in Madrid, describing her as a voice that upholds the conscience of the world. The honor recognizes her documentation of international law violations in Gaza. The diplomatic tension occurs as Spain has also implemented a full arms embargo on Israel and denied the US permission to use joint military bases during a US-Israeli war against Iran, prompting threats from the Trump administration to suspend trade with Madrid.