Over 150 ex-diplomats accuse France FM of smearing UN rapporteur Francesca Albanese

More than 150 former foreign ministers, ambassadors and senior diplomats from around the world have signed an open letter accusing France's foreign minister, Jean-Noel Barrot, of spreading disinformation about Francesca Albanese over remarks she made on Israel.

Barrot had described comments made by Albanese during a conference in Doha on 7 February as "outrageous and reprehensible", and called for her resignation as UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian Territories.

A group of French MPs had also written to Barrot, describing her remarks as "antisemitic".

Barrot was among several European officials who accused the Italian legal scholar of referring to Israel as a "common enemy", an allegation she rejected, saying her words had been manipulated.

"In an era of escalating global disinformation, it is deeply concerning that the French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noel Barrot, has relied upon and amplified manipulated content in remarks concerning Ms Francesca Albanese," the open letter states.

The signatories said Barrot's reliance on a "digitally distorted version" of her comments raised "serious concerns" about verification standards among European officials. They criticised him for "relying upon and amplifying manipulated content".

The letter also warned of what it called a failure to protect independent UN mandate holders, citing "broader concerns about the integrity of multilateral institutions and the responsibility of Member States to ensure that UN experts can carry out their mandates free from political interference or disinformation".

Albanese has faced sustained criticism from a number of Western governments. In July 2025, the Trump administration imposed sanctions on her, a move that drew condemnation from human rights groups.

The former diplomats argued that the focus on Albanese risks diverting attention from the war in Gaza and its humanitarian consequences.

"This controversy must not divert attention from the mass killing of civilians and the catastrophic humanitarian and human rights crisis in Gaza," the letter read. It added that "leaders have a collective responsibility under international law to protect civilians, prevent further atrocities, and ensure accountability".

Albanese herself has expressed frustration at what she described as accusations "based on statements I never made", contrasting them with what she called the lack of comparable condemnation against those responsible for killing "20,000+ children in 858 days".