Credit: The Left in the European Parliament, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Ms Albanese has served since May 2022 as the UN’s special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967 and soon rose to global prominence as an outspoken opponent of Israel’s destruction of Gaza.

She was sanctioned by the Trump administration last summer after publishing a landmark report which named businesses, charities and universities which allegedly profited from Israel’s occupation and genocide.

Ms Albanese has now faced calls for her resignation from government ministers in European countries including France, Germany and Italy following the circulation on social media of a clip which purported to show her describing Israel as humanity’s “common enemy” at an Al Jazeera event in Doha.

A longer clip shared by Ms Albanese on her X account shows that she did not do so.

Amnesty International’s secretary general, Agnès Callamard, said in a statement on Friday: “It is reprehensible that ministers in Austria, Czechia, France, Germany and Italy have attacked [Ms Albanese] based on a deliberately truncated video to misrepresent and gravely misconstrue her messages — as is clear from watching her original address in its entirety.

“The ministers that have spread disinformation must act beyond merely deleting their comments on social media — as some have done.

“They must publicly apologise and retract any calls for Francesca Albanese’s resignation. Their governments must also investigate how this disinformation happened with a view to preventing such situations.

“If only these minsters had been as loud and forceful in confronting a state committing genocide, unlawful occupation and apartheid as they have in attacking a UN expert.

“Their cowardice and refusal to hold Israel accountable stand in stark contrast to the special rapporteur’s unwavering commitment to speaking truth to power.”

The France-based Association of Jurists for the Respect of International Law (JURDI) said it has filed a criminal complaint against the French foreign minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, with the public prosecutor of Paris.

The lawyers’ group said Mr Barrot’s statements calling for Ms Albanese’s resignation “may amount to the criminal offence provided for under French law relating to the dissemination of false information”.

Ms Albanese is currently set to serve in her role until 2028.