The independent journalist, Christophe Gleizes, was sentenced to seven years in prison in Algeria for “apology for terrorism”. The football specialist went in May 2024 for a subject on the Kabylia Sports youth club (JSK). Algerian justice criticizes the employee of So Foot and Society magazines for exchanging with a leaders of the movement for the self -determination of Kabylia.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) launches the alert
In a press release published this Sunday, June 29, RSF and the SO Press group alerted to the situation of Christophe Gleizes. Algerian justice has sentenced the sports journalist to Seven years in prisonespecially for “apology for terrorism”. This conviction follows a judicial control of more than 13 months. He had since banned from leaving Algerian territory.
The 36 -year -old independent journalist, Christophe Gleizes, went to Algeria in May 2024 for a subject on the Kabylia Sports youth club. As such, he wanted to cover the commemorations marking the ten years of the death of the Cameroonian footballer Albert Ebossé. His mission also, mandated by So Foot magazine, to make an interview with the coach of the Mouloudia Club of Algiers, Patrice Beaumelle, as well as a portrait of the player Salah Djebaïli.
Algerian authorities have arrested the magazine collaborator So football And Society May 28, 2024 in Tizi Ouzou and placed it under judicial supervision. Here are the reasons for this control: ” Having entered the country with a tourist visa, for apology for terrorism and possession of publications for the purpose of propaganda harming the national interest ». THE Tizi Ouzou court So condemned him this Sunday, June 29, and he immediately called upon today, Monday, June 30.
The accusations against Christophe Gleizes
The accusations against Christophe Gleizes were strongly denounced by RSF, who describes them as ” without foundation and totally refuted ». According to RSF, the conviction to seven years in prison is based on simple exchanges, in 2015 and 2017, between Gleizes and an official of the Tizi Ouzou football club. This manager is also a figure of Movement for the self -determination of Kabylia (Mak), classified terrorist organization by Algeria in 2021.
RSF specifies that these contacts took place long before this classification, and that the only recent exchange, in 2024, was part of a report on the JSK. For Thibaut Bruttin, Managing Director of RSF, “Christophe Gleizes lived An absurd judicial control For more than a year. His conviction to seven years in prison has no sense and demonstrates only one fact: nothing escapes politics today and Algerian justice has missed an important opportunity to go out from above. »»
Tensions between France and Algeria
This alert launched by RSF intervenes in a context of growing tensions between France and Algeria. The condemnation of Christophe Gleizes also follows that of the writer Boualem Sansalimprisoned for critical remarks vis-à-vis the Algerian regime.
Read also: Who is Boualem Sansal, the writer arrested in Algeria?
After Emmanuel Macron’s support at the Autonomy Plan for Western Sahara in late July 2024, relations between Algeria and France had been strongly degraded. Algeria had frozen bilateral cooperation during this period.
On social networks, the hashtag #FreeGleizes started to circulate. Many voices in the press called for political and diplomatic mobilization to obtain the release of Christophe Gleizes.
“” This decision is completely unfair. It is important that everything is done, including politically and diplomatically for justice to prevail and that Christophe can find his loved ones and his drafting “Declares Franck Annese, founder of So Press, about Christophe Gleizes.
