The terrible risks of speaking the truth about genocide

JVL Introduction

Francesca Albanese has become well known to the Palestine Solidarity Movement across the world for her clarity and lack of equivocation over the occupation of Palestine and the genocide in Gaza. This has put her – and her family – in danger with threats and the possibility of arrest in Germany and  “Donald Trump’s administration has named her a “specially designated national”, a term usually reserved for terrorists, drug traffickers and the occasional murderous dictator. She is the first UN official to have received the designation.”

As Albanese says: “It was bad. That sort of puts you together with mass murderers and drug dealers of international proportions,” Albanese says. “It was a paradox of facing one of the harshest forms of punishment without due process, because I’ve not even been afforded the possibility to defend myself. I’ve just been sanctioned without trial.” (my emph LL)

In this interview we learn more of the pressures she and her family face, her sources of inspiration, her determination to continue as she feels she has no other choice. The attacks and threats to Ms Albanese are an extreme example of the repression on free speech on Palestine (and Israel) that are widely applied.  The risks most of us face are considerably less than hers but our commitment must be the same and we can take inspiration from her stand and her determination.

LL

This article was originally published by The Guardian on Tue 14 Apr 2026. Read the original here.