A court in Algeria has handed down a seven-year prison sentence to Christophe Gleizes, a French sports journalist, amid growing international concern over the country’s stance on press freedom. Charged with “glorifying terrorism” and “possessing propaganda publications harmful to the national interest,” Gleizes’ case has attracted widespread attention from global advocacy groups and foreign governments.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has condemned the verdict, urging Algerian authorities to release Gleizes immediately and unconditionally. Gleizes, known for his contributions to French publications So Foot and Society, was arrested on May 28, 2024, while conducting an interview in Tizi Ouzou, Algeria, with the president of football club JS Kabylie. Algerian authorities allege the interviewee’s connections to the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylie (MAK), a group labeled as a terrorist organization by Algeria since 2021.
The French government’s Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs has characterized the ruling as overly severe and is currently seeking consular access to Gleizes, as demonstrated in their official statement.
Gleizes’ case emerges within a broader context of escalating constraints on expression in Algeria. In April, Amnesty International called for the release of Mohamed Tadjadit, a poet and activist serving a five-year sentence for his critical social media output aimed at the government. Similarly, Human Rights Watch has flagged an uptick in unspecific travel prohibitions affecting critics of the regime.
Recent judicial actions further compound worries about press freedom in Algeria; the Algiers Court of Appeal recently upheld a five-year sentence for French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, citing charges related to undermining national unity.
The expanding crackdown, marked by this latest sentence against Gleizes, has prompted significant backlash from international rights organizations, highlighting the imperative for Algerian authorities to reassess their approach to free expression.