GENEVA, Feb 13 (Reuters) - A U.N. human rights spokesperson expressed concern on Friday about attacks on independent U.N. experts after several European governments criticised the organisation’s special rapporteur for Palestine, Francesca Albanese, and called for her resignation.

This follows condemnation from Germany, France and Italy this week of Albanese’s alleged criticism of Israel. Albanese, an Italian lawyer, denies making the remarks.

“We are very worried. We are concerned that U.N. officials, independent experts and judicial officials, are increasingly subjected to personal attacks, threats and misinformation that distracts from the serious human rights issues,” U.N. human rights office spokesperson Marta Hurtado told a press briefing when asked about the criticism.

On Friday, the Czech Republic’s Foreign Minister Petr Macinka quoted Albanese on X as having called Israel a “common enemy of humanity”, and he also called for her resignation.

A transcript of Albanese’s remarks made in Doha on February 7 seen by Reuters did not characterise Israel in this way, although she has consistently criticised the country in the past over the Gaza conflict.