PARIS — In a significant development impacting Franco-Algerian relations, an Algerian appellate court has confirmed the seven-year imprisonment sentence for French sports journalist Christophe Gleizes, dashing hopes for his imminent release. The verdict, delivered on Wednesday, sustains the original conviction of “glorifying terrorism” under Algeria’s stringent anti-terrorism legislation.
French President Emmanuel Macron has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to securing Gleizes’ freedom, declaring through an official statement that France “will continue to take action with the Algerian authorities to obtain his release and his return to France as soon as possible.” This diplomatic stance follows the disappointing appellate outcome that occurred on Wednesday.
The case originated six months ago when Gleizes, a 36-year-old freelance journalist, conducted an interview with a soccer official allegedly connected to a prohibited separatist organization. Algerian prosecutors successfully argued that the journalist violated counter-terrorism statutes and possessed materials intended for propaganda purposes—charges that have drawn substantial criticism from international human rights organizations and French media outlets.
During appellate proceedings in Tizi Ouzou, Gleizes reportedly admitted guilt and acknowledged “many journalistic mistakes,” according to his Algerian legal representative, Amirouche Bakouri. The journalist appealed for prosecutorial clemency and forgiveness, emphasizing his desire to reunite with his family in France.
The recent improvement in Franco-Algerian relations, highlighted by last month’s release of French-Algerian novelist Boualem Sansal, had generated optimism among diplomatic circles regarding Gleizes’ potential release. With judicial appeals now exhausted, the journalist’s fate rests exclusively with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s prerogative of pardon.
The French soccer league has joined the call for Gleizes’ liberation, urging member clubs and supporters to amplify appeals for his release. Notably, Gleizes remains the only French journalist currently imprisoned worldwide according to media advocacy groups.