One year behind bars: journalist Christophe Gleizes still hopes for presidential pardon

On 29 June 2025, one year ago today, the Tizi Ouzou court sentenced Christophe Gleizes to seven years in prison without parole for "apologia for terrorism" and "possession of publications for propaganda purposes harmful to the national interest." The ruling was upheld on appeal on 3 December 2025. He was arrested on 28 May 2024 whilst reporting on the JS Kabylie football club, and spent the following 13 months under judicial supervision, banned from leaving Algeria.

Regardez la vidéo de l'appel de la grand-mère de Gleizes ici

The charges against him are based in part on professional interactions with an official of the Tizi Ouzou football club who was also a member of the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylie (MAK), which the Algerian authorities classified as a terrorist organisation in 2021. However, most of these contacts date back to 2015 and 2017 - well before that designation. The only exchange that took place in 2024 concerned the preparation of his reportage about the football club. The trial demonstrated the complete lack of substance in the charges brought against him.

Over the past year, RSF and those close to Gleizes have pursued every possible avenue. Following confirmation of his sentence on appeal, Christophe Gleizes chose to withdraw his cassation appeal to pave the way for a presidential pardon. His parents, Sylvie and Francis Godard, and his brother Maxime Gleizes have travelled to Algeria on several occasions. Alongside RSF and the So Press group, they have consistently called for greater mobilisation from the sports community ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

International Mobilisation

Since Christophe Gleizes was convicted by the Tizi Ouzou court on 29 June 2025, an international campaign has taken shape calling for his release. The very next day, RSF launched a petition that rapidly gathered over 36,000 signatures, reflecting an outpouring of public support.

Building on this momentum, RSF, with the backing of the Union of Sports Journalists in France (UJSF), ensured that Gleizes' situation was brought to the attention of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, where his case was symbolically highlighted within the sports journalism community. An accreditation issued in Christophe's name to cover the FIFA World Cup in the United States was granted by FIFA, and its President Gianni Infantino called for his release on the eve of the start of the competition.

On 22 May 2026, the campaign reached a new milestone at the French Cup final "Coupe de France," the premier domestic knockout cup competition in French football, when the French Football Federation (FFF) organised a symbolic action in Christophe Gleizes' honour, bringing his cause to a national audience.

The support campaign also brought togetherseveral hundred public figures from sports, culture, and the media. Among them were football personalities such as Vahid Halilhodžić, Hervé Renard, and Raí; sports journalists including Hervé Mathoux and Ambre Godillon; and acclaimed artists and intellectuals, including novelist and Prix Goncourt (France's most prestigious literary award) laureate Mohamed Mbougar Sarr, rapper Médine, and actors François Civil and Gilles Lellouche. In total, nearly a hundred public figures have publicly called for the release of the sports journalist.

Algeria ranks 145th out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index.

Timeline of Christophe Gleizes' case and the campaign for his release

28 May 2024: Christophe Gleizes is arrested in Tizi Ouzou (Algeria) while covering a story on the JS Kabylie (JSK) football club. He is placed under a judicial control order.

29 June 2025: Christophe Gleizes is sentenced to seven years in prison for "glorifying terrorism" and "possessing publications for propaganda purposes harmful to national interests".

30 June 2025: RSF launches a petition calling for Christophe Gleizes' release. To date, it has gathered more than 20,000 signatures.

16 July 2025: Around 100 public figures announce their support for the call for Christophe Gleizes' release.

24 July 2025: During the Tour de France cycling competition, a giant banner calling for Christophe Gleizes' release is unfurled -- an action coordinated by RSF. The aim is to turn one of the most high-profile sporting events of the year into a platform for press freedom.

August 2025: A giant banner in support of journalist Christophe Gleizes is unfurled on the front of the town hall in Agen, the town where he was born. The call for Christophe's release was also shared at the Avignon, Rock en Seine, and Couthures-sur-Garonne festivals, which included speeches by members of his support committee and RSF.

29 September 2025: To mark three months of the journalists' detention in Algeria, sixteen French journalism schools join forces to call for his release. RSF welcomed this initiative and renewed its call for his freedom.

20 November 2025: Nine Ligue 1 football clubs mobilise for the release of Christophe Gleizes, who is being held in Algeria.

29 November 2025: Nearly 30 prominent figures join forces to call for his release.

3 December 2025: Christophe Gleizes' appeal trial takes place at the Tizi Ouzou Court of Appeal, which upholds his seven-year prison sentence. RSF demands his release.

18 December 2025: A giant picture of Christophe on the facade of the FFF headquarters in Paris is revealed. On 19, 20, and 21 December, messages of support were broadcast during the round of 32 of the French Cup. These include a video message from Christophe Gleizes' mother, Sylvie Godard, addressed to her son, which is shown in the 7th minute of the Paris Saint-Germain - Fontenay-le-Comte match. This is a symbolic moment, as the number seven refers to the seven-year prison sentence inflicted on the journalist.

29 January 2026: An exceptional evening of support was organised at the Bataclan to mark Christophe Gleizes' seven months of detention. Bringing together more than 1,000 spectators and hosted by journalist Ambre Godillon, the event featured socially conscious artists who chose to perform free of charge: Alex Beaupain, Malik Djoudi, Jeanne Cherhal, Mathilda, Yuksek, and the group Elephanz.

27 February 2026: French local authorities commit to the release of Christophe Gleizes. Several municipalities, departments, and regions join the mobilisation, displaying banners, posters, and organising public statements to emphasise the importance of press freedom and that Christophe Gleizes's detention is a serious violation of the fundamental right to inform.

11 April 2026: A special friendly match held in Christophe's honour as part of the game between the French clubs RC Lens and FC Rouen.

3 May 2026: On World Press Freedom Day, Christophe Gleizes's family kicks off the match between the French clubs Paris FC and Stade Brestois during the 32nd matchday of the French Ligue 1 championship.

22 May 2026: During the French Football Cup, Christophe Gleizes' family kicked off the match between RC Lens and OGC Nice.

10 June 2026: Announcement that FIFA issued accreditation to Christophe Gleizes to cover the 2026 World Cup. With the support of the Sports & Rights Alliance (SRA) - a global coalition fighting corruption in sport - and the International Sports Press Association (AIPS).

15 June 2026: RSF coordinates, in the United States, an international mobilisation for Christophe Gleizes during the French national team press conference. In response to a question submitted by Christophe Gleizes from prison, relayed to his family and read out by the president of the UJSF, Vincent Duluc, Didier Deschamps sent him a message of support: "I had the opportunity to meet his parents at the Coupe de France final. I hope for him and for his family that he will be able, as quickly as possible, to be here and ask his questions himself."