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Appeal Opens in Algeria for French Journalist Christophe Gleizes, Sentenced to Seven Years

His defense frames the case as the criminalization of routine reporting on JS Kabylie.

Overview

  • The Tizi Ouzou court of appeal is scheduled to hear the case on Wednesday, December 3.
  • Gleizes, a contributor to So Foot and Society, was convicted in first instance of “apologie du terrorisme” and possessing propaganda publications, receiving a seven-year sentence.
  • Algerian authorities tie the charges to his contacts with a JS Kabylie official linked to the MAK, which Algeria designated a terrorist organization in 2021.
  • His French lawyer, Emmanuel Daoud, has traveled to Algeria, expresses hope for a favorable ruling on appeal, and rejects describing Gleizes as a “hostage.”
  • Advocacy in France has intensified, including a 309-title press tribune, an RSF video with about 30 public figures, and statements from Ligue 1 clubs, as press-freedom groups cite a broader pattern of criminalizing journalism.