Madrid: The Spanish government has awarded United Nations legal expert Francesca Albanese the Order of Civil Merit, one of the country’s highest civilian honours, for her work on documenting human rights violations in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez presented the award during a ceremony in Madrid. He praised Albanese for her efforts in raising international awareness about alleged violations of international law in Gaza.
Francesca Albanese serves as the UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967. The Italian human rights lawyer has strongly criticised Israel’s military operations in Gaza and has repeatedly accused the international community of failing to prevent serious human rights violations.
During the ceremony, Sánchez said public responsibility carries a moral duty to speak against injustice. He described Albanese as a voice representing the conscience of the world.
The honour comes amid growing international debate over Gaza and global accountability mechanisms. Albanese recently faced sanctions from the United States government after urging the International Criminal Court to investigate alleged complicity of American and Israeli companies and individuals in human rights violations.
While visiting Madrid, Albanese also toured the Reina Sofía museum and viewed Pablo Picasso’s Guernica. Speaking about the famous anti-war painting, she said the destruction portrayed in the artwork reminded her of scenes witnessed in Gaza.
At another public event in the Spanish capital, Albanese warned that ongoing conflicts and weakened international legal standards were creating dangerous precedents. She praised Spain’s position on Gaza and welcomed the country’s opposition to sanctions imposed against her.
