Francesca Albanese to receive award from Amnesty International in secret Paris ceremony - report

According to the Telegraph, the ceremony will take place in Paris, and will be kept private and "highly confidential" for "security reasons."Follow us on GoogleFrancesca Albanese, United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur, speaks during the International Day of Action of Dockworkers and the general strike through the streets on October 30, 2026 in Livorno, Italy.(photo credit: Laura Lezza/Getty Images)NOVEMBER 15, 2026 14:28United Nations Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese will receive the Ambassador of Conscience award from Amnesty International in a secret ceremony on December 7, The Telegraph reported on Sunday, citing leaked correspondence.According to the Telegraph, the ceremony will take place in Paris, and will be kept private and "highly confidential" for "security reasons."Actor Javier Bardem will also reportedly receive an award at the ceremony.Albanese has been repeatedly criticized, condemned, and accused of antisemitism by Israeli supporters in response to her claims that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.The email was sent by Amnesty France executive director Sylvie Brigot, the Telegraph reported, who wrote that the award "honors individuals whose life journeys, stances, and actions have made outstanding contributions to the defense of human rights and the promotion of human dignity around the world,” and that Albanese and other recipients would receive the award for having "spoken out about the genocide in Gaza."Amnesty International protesters hold signs reading 'Genocide apartheid occupation justice for Gaza' at the national Solidarity with Palestine demonstration in Paris, France, on November 29, 2025. (credit: Djoudi Hamani / Hans Lucas / AFP via Getty Images))The award ceremony is also intended to raise funds for Amnesty International, with Brigot urging national directors to attend alongside major donors in order to secure support for the organization.Award for Albanese represents 'degradation' for Amnesty InternationalAnne Herzberg, a legal adviser to NGO Monitor, said that the award to Albanese is “just the latest example of the moral degradation of the once-respected organization.”British MP Dame Priti Patel also condemned Albanese receiving the award, saying that “For Amnesty, an alleged human-rights organization, to celebrate such an individual is astonishing, and only confirms their own political and ideological bias and indifference to the acts of a murderous terrorist regime."Adam Ma'anit, a British Israel advocate and relative of several October 7 massacre victims, expressed his disgust at Albanese receiving the award from Amnesty International."My family were targeted because they were Jews living in their ancestral homeland. Amnesty honoring someone who justified their slaughter makes me sick to my stomach," he told the Telegraph. "This perverse ceremony needs to be stopped.”Amnesty International expresses support for Albanese, condemns antisemitismIn response to inquiries from the Telegraph, Amnesty International said that it “supports the independent work of UN special procedures," including Francesca Albanese.“We stand with all those who face threats, intimidation, smear campaigns, or unfounded attacks for documenting human-rights violations, seeking justice for victims, and working to prevent and end atrocity crimes. Attempts to discredit or silence those carrying out legitimate human-rights work undermine accountability and the protection of human rights."Amnesty International also said that it takes allegations of antisemitism very seriously, saying that it is "antithetical to human rights and has no place within our organization."Amnesty International declined to comment on the Ambassador of Conscience award, saying that it was "only able to comment on events that have been formally communicated through Amnesty’s official channels.”Follow us on Google