UN Special Rapporteur Served Defamation Lawsuit in South Africa
Francesca Albanese was confronted with court papers in South Africa after she accused Christian charities of war crimes without proof, prompting Colorado lawsuit
Over the weekend, UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese was publicly served with a federal defamation lawsuit filed in Colorado alleging she made false statements accusing two Christian charitable organizations of complicity in “genocide” and war crimes. The dramatic confrontation occurred when a South African sheriff approached Albanese immediately after she delivered a lecture on October 25, 2025, serving her with the lawsuit papers at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg.
The South African government later said the papers were delivered improperly and shouldn’t be recognized, but the lawsuit’s attorney says he got proper permission and the service was valid.
The Allegations
The lawsuit, filed September 8, 2025, in U.S. District Court in Colorado (Case No. 1:25-cv-02805-MDB) by Christian Friends of Israeli Communities and Christians for Israel USA, centers on what the plaintiffs describe as a deliberate campaign to destroy their reputations. The organizations are represented by the National Jewish Advocacy Center, with lead attorney Marc Zell of the Jerusalem-based law firm Zell & Arnon Co.
According to the complaint, the campaign began on April 24, 2025, when Albanese sent confidential letters to both organizations. In these letters, she accused them of:
War crimes under the Rome Statute
Complicity in genocide and crimes against humanity
Apartheid and crimes of aggression
Willful killing and unlawful deportation of Palestinians
The letters warned the organizations that their executives faced potential “criminal liability” and threatened them with sanctions, asset freezes, International Criminal Court prosecution, and public boycotts.
The Unanswered Request for Evidence
According to the Christians for Israel press release, they sent a formal request for evidence to Albanese in May 2025, asking her to provide proof of her claims. She never responded.
On June 30, 2025 — 61 days after her mandate as Special Rapporteur had expired on April 30 — she published a UN report titled “From Economy of Occupation to Economy of Genocide.” This time, she publicly named both organizations, alleging they sent “$12.25 million in 2023 to projects that support colonies, including some that train extremist settlers.”
The complaint alleges these statements were categorically false. The organizations provide humanitarian aid—food assistance, emergency housing, trauma counseling for terror victims, and support for vulnerable populations in Israeli communities.
“If a racist antisemite gains a position of power and proceeds to abuse the public platform she enjoys in order to perpetuate lies about religious organizations for their compassion toward and allyship with the Jewish people and the Jewish State of Israel, she can and should be held liable for defamation,” said Rachel Sebbag, NJAC litigation counsel, in the press release.
The plaintiffs allege Albanese’s statements caused severe reputational and financial harm, including death threats against staff, vandalism of European offices, and political pressure to revoke their charitable status.
Immunity Claims Under Fire
A central legal battleground is whether Albanese can claim UN immunity. The U.S. government has taken the position that she cannot.
Her mandate and immunity expired on April 30, 2025—yet she published her report publicly naming the plaintiffs 61 days later, on June 30. The lawsuit argues her mandate renewal was procedurally defective, failing to follow Article 7 requirements of the UN Human Rights Council. Multiple countries formally objected to her renewal, including the United States, Netherlands, Hungary, and Argentina, along with EU parliamentarians and U.S. Congressional members.
U.S. Government Pushback Against Albanese
The U.S. government has taken its own steps against Albanese. On May 19, 2025, Leo Terrell of the Department of Justice sent a letter warning Albanese that, ““Your suggestion that these organizations may be criminally liable for aiding and abetting genocide or war crimes is not only legally groundless. Your actions are defamatory, dangerous, and a flagrant abuse of your office.”
Then, on July 9, 2025, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Albanese, placing her on the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list. This banned her from entering the United States and froze any U.S.-based assets. Secretary of State Marco Rubio characterized her actions as “political and economic warfare” against American charitable organizations.
“Some of the vilest antisemites and terror supporters have sought to shield themselves from accountability for their actions by hiding behind the UN flag,” said Eugene Kontorovich, professor at George Mason University’s Scalia Law School and senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, who advised the legal team. “But as UNRWA recently discovered, automatic immunity is over.”
Controversy Over Serving Albanese
The lawsuit took a dramatic turn on October 25, 2025, when a South African sheriff approached Albanese immediately after she delivered the Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. The sheriff attempted to serve her with the Colorado lawsuit papers in front of attendees and media.
The following day, the South African government issued an apology, declaring the service “unauthorized” and “irregular,” and formally withdrew it. The government stated that proper diplomatic protocols had not been followed.
However, attorney Mark Goldfeder disputed this account, claiming his team had obtained proper authorization from the South African Director-General and followed all required procedures. Goldfeder accused Albanese’s supporters of obstructing the service and threatening to arrest the sheriff. He maintains the service was valid and that the government’s withdrawal was improper political interference.
Update (October 27, 2025): After the publication of this article, Goldfeder posted documentation on X showing an authorization letter dated October 24, 2025, from South Africa’s Office of the Director-General: Chief Directorate: International Legal Affairs. The letter, stamped “RECEIVED” on October 25, 2025, appears to authorize the service request for “FRANCESCA ELSA ALBANESE” by the Sheriff at the location which she was speaking.
Goldfeder stated: “You claim that service was unauthorized? Here is the authorization letter, signed, sealed, and delivered. You both love to lie, but please remember that @NJACLaw always brings receipts. Ball is in your court; we’ll see you in ours.”
What Happens Next
The case remains pending in Colorado federal court. If Albanese does not appear or respond to the lawsuit, the plaintiffs could seek a default judgment. The immunity question will likely be a central battleground if she does contest the case.
“Our mission is simple: to connect Christians with Jewish communities in Israel and foster relationships,” said Kimberly Troup, Director of the US Office of Christian Friends of Israeli Communities. “Francesca Albanese’s defamatory campaign has placed our work, our staff, and our donors at great risk. We will not allow lies and antisemitism to silence us.”