Thread by @UNWatch

U.N. Antisemite Loses Blue Check
(GENEVA — For the first time ever, a U.N. official has lost verified status on social media. Francesca Albanese, recently sanctioned by the U.S., has lost her “blue check” on X after UN Watch's legal appeal to Elon Musk.
unwatch.org/u-n-official-f…

2/ The letter, sent on July 31 to Elon Musk and the legal team at X, called on the company to remove Albanese’s blue check mark in light of her designation under U.S. sanctions. The verification badge was removed from her account on August 4.

3/ “This is a major achievement,” said UN Watch's Hillel Neuer. “Verification provided Albanese with visibility, amplification, and an appearance of credibility. Stripping the badge sends a message: anyone who supports terrorists will suffer consequences, no matter their title.”

4/ The loss of the verification badge comes less than a month after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio imposed sanctions on Albanese, citing her “illegitimate and shameful efforts” to prompt International Criminal Court action against U.S. and Israeli officials and companies.

5/ The sanctions, which were announced on July 9th and go into full force on August 8th, freeze her U.S.-based assets, bar her from entering the country, and prohibit Americans and U.S. entities from providing her with goods or services.

6/ Albanese recently decried the sanctions, saying they were “harmful” and “dangerous.” She said “it’s very serious to be on the list of people sanctioned by the US,” adding she can't have any US credit cards. “I have some assets in the US. So of course, it’s going to harm me.”

7/ UN Watch, which led the campaign, said the move by Elon Musk’s X platform is part of the watchdog group’s broader effort to ensure full enforcement of the sanctions against Albanese across all platforms and institutions.

8/ UN Watch’s petition earlier this year to Secretary Rubio, the first to call for sanctions on Albanese, had gathered more than 120,000 signatures. actionnetwork.org/petitions/fire…

9/ “We are going to continue approaching key U.S. companies to ensure the sanctions are fully and vigorously enforced, ” Neuer said.

10/ “Foreigners who target U.S. officials and companies while supporting Hamas terrorism can be sanctioned— and even if they try to hide behind the diplomatic shield of a U.N. title, they can be made to suffer the consequences. The message today is that justice will be served.”

11/ “Zero tolerance for U.N. antisemites and terror supporters is our demand—and we’re bringing maximum pressure. No speaking gigs, no payments, no platforms. We’ve launched a rapid-response task force to notify targets, demand compliance, and take action where violations occur.”