Algiers: Algerian authorities have sentenced a French sports journalist, renowned for his coverage of African football, to seven years in prison on charges of “glorifying terrorism”. The journalist, Christophe Gleizes, aged 36, who contributes to So Foot magazine, was ordered by a court in Tizi Ouzou to be detained immediately.
According to France24.com, the media rights group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) described the verdict as “nonsensical”, criticizing the decision as politically motivated. Gleizes, who had traveled to Algeria to cover the local football club Jeunesse Sportive de Kabylie, located in the Kabylia region, was also convicted of “possessing publications for propaganda purposes harmful to national interests”.
The RSF revealed that Gleizes had previously communicated in 2015 and 2017 with a football figure from Tizi Ouzou associated with the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylie (MAK), which was labeled a “terrorist” organization by Algerian authorities in 2021. It noted that these interactions occurred before the organization was designated as such and that Gleizes had also contacted the individual in 2024 for his reporting.
The family of Gleizes, in a statement shared by RSF, expressed their shock and questioned the justification for the journalist’s ordeal, emphasizing his commitment to practicing journalism with integrity. So Foot magazine echoed this sentiment, highlighting the distress of Gleizes’ loved ones and editorial team over the sentencing.
The case of Gleizes arises amidst heightened tensions between Algeria and France, especially following incidents such as the arrest of French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal on national security charges and disagreements over Western Sahara sovereignty. These events have further strained relations between Algeria and its former colonial ruler, France.