Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has awarded one of Spain’s highest civil honors to Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation in Palestine, in recognition of what he described as her courageous work documenting the genocide of the Palestinian people by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip.
Sánchez: Public responsibility requires moral courage
Commenting on the meeting, Sánchez wrote that public responsibility carries with it a moral duty: not to remain indifferent to facts, and not to turn away from them.
He said it was an honor to bestow the Order of Civil Merit on “a voice that keeps the conscience of the world alive” — Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Albanese responds: Thank you for defending a Europe grounded in international law
In response to Sánchez’s post, Albanese expressed her gratitude, writing:
“Thank you, Mr. President, for this recognition; for defending a Europe that belongs to its people, within the framework of respect for international law — neither beyond it, nor in opposition to it. And for ‘solidarity,’ which is the vital essence of the human family.”
She ended her message with the words:
“Free Palestine — and we stand with it as well.”
Recognition amid growing international attention
The honor highlights growing international attention to Albanese’s role as one of the most prominent UN voices speaking out on the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and the legal responsibilities surrounding the Israeli assault on Palestinians.