Prime Minister's Office of Spain

05/07/2026 | Press release | Archived content

Pedro Sánchez awards the Order of Civil Merit to Francesca Albanese

Pedro Sánchez awards the Order of Civil Merit to Francesca Albanese

President's News - 2026.5.7

The President of the Government of Spain received the United Nations Special Rapporteur, with whom he discussed the situation in Palestine. Both agreed on the importance of upholding the equitable application of international law.

Moncloa Palace, Madrid

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, presents the Order of Civil Merit to Francesca Albanese, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory (Pool Moncloa/Fernando Calvo)

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The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, presented the Order of Civil Merit to Francesca Albanese, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory, for her extensive work documenting and denouncing violations of international law in Gaza.

Both agreed on the importance of upholding the equitable application of international law and the independence of multilateral institutions. They also addressed the situation in Palestine and the need for an immediate cessation of violence and the building of lasting peace with dignity and humanity.

On 6 May 2026, the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, wrote a letter to the European Commission requesting the activation of the Blocking Statute tool to nullify in the European Union the US sanctions imposed against Francesca Albanese and the judges and prosecutors of the International Criminal Court.

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Prime Minister's Office of Spain published this content on May 07, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on May 09, 2026 at 06:18 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]