Diplomatic tensions between France and Algeria have deepened following the sentencing of French journalist Christophe Gleizes to seven years in prison by the court of Tizi Ouzou.
The decision, handed down on Monday, has drawn fierce condemnation from international press freedom organisations, further straining an already fraught relationship between the two nations.
Gleizes, a freelance sports journalist known for his work with French magazines So Foot and Society, was arrested on May 28, 2024, and had been under judicial supervision prior to his sentencing.
According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the charges brought against him include “apology for terrorism” and “possession of publications for the purpose of propaganda harmful to the national interest.”
His arrest followed a journalistic trip to Algeria where he was working on a feature about the golden era of Jeunesse Sportive de Kabylie football club in the 1980s.
Gleizes is also the co-author of the 2018 book Magical System: The Modern Slavery of African Footballers, which critiques exploitation within African football.
Algerian authorities argue that the journalist maintained contact between 2015 and 2017 with members of the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylia (MAK), including the vice president of Anavad and president of the MAK-affiliated football team.
However, those contacts predate the Algerian government’s 2021 designation of the MAK as a terrorist organisation.
Observers have noted that the case appears deeply entangled in political undertones.
The sentencing comes amid already heightened bilateral tensions, notably due to France’s recent endorsement of Morocco’s autonomy plan for Western Sahara—a move that Algeria has openly opposed.
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