Christophe Gleizes, a French freelance sports journalist, is serving a seven-year prison sentence in Algeria after being convicted on terrorism-related charges for an interview conducted as part of his reporting.
Algerian authorities arrested Gleizes in the town of Tizi Ouzou, 100 kilometers east of Algiers, on May 28, 2024, shortly after he interviewed the president of a football club who was also allegedly affiliated with the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylie (MAK). The group, which advocates for autonomy for the Kabylie region, has been considered a terrorist organization by Algeria since 2021.
The criminal court of Dar El Beïda in Algiers sentenced Gleizes to seven years in prison on June 29, 2025, on charges of “glorifying terrorism” and “possessing propaganda publications harmful to the national interest.” The court did not release the full list of charges, and his detention had not been made public until the verdict was announced.
Gleizes had traveled to Algeria in 2023 to report on JS Kabylie, one of the country’s most storied football clubs, and its ties to Amazigh identity and political expression. He has previously contributed to the French magazines So Foot and Society.
Following his conviction, France’s Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs called the sentence “harsh,” said Gleizes would appeal, and requested consular access to visit him in prison.
Gleizes did not appear in CPJ's 2024 prison census report because CPJ was not aware of the case at the time.
On December 3, 2025, the state prosecutor at the Tizi Ouzou court called for a ten-year prison sentence for Gleizes during his first appeal hearing. Later that day, the court upheld its initial seven-year sentence, a verdict which Gleizes appealed at the Court of Cassation, Algeria’s highest court.
The imprisonment of Gleizes comes amid escalating diplomatic tensions between France and Algeria, including disputes over migration policy, extradition, and the status of Western Sahara.
CPJ’s email to the Algerian Ministry of the Interior for comment on Gleizes’ sentence received no response.