Francesca Albanese

Even rooms, hotel rooms booked in my name by someone else get canceled because I'm in Europe, because I'm sanctioned by the United States.

And think of there is a deeper meaning of it.

which is an extra layer of absurdity, because I also have deep ties to the United States.

I live in Washington, D.C.

I gave birth to my first child, who's an American citizen, and she risked to commit felony by offering me a present, by receiving like a breakfast from me because the consequences of the sanctions

are penalties up to $1 million and jailing up to 20 years.

And the thing is that if you spoke to my daughter, you wouldn't even realize that she's the daughter of an Italian because she's American educated.

She goes to the American school.

She's raised according to American values, more than Italian values, I can tell you.

This is a betrayal for us from the United States.

Where is the freedom of thought?

Where is freedom of expression?

look, the only one who's aiding and abetting someone else committing crime is the United States.

Let me be very clear.

Well, I know that the United Nations is working hard behind the scenes to have the sanctions removed.

There have been tons and tons of

of pledges to the United States from my special rapporteurs, independent experts of the United Nations, many states.

But here's the system.

The system is very weak at the moment because the United States is using its power, its leverage to

bend the arm of the system.