Overview
- Journalists at France’s World Cup press conference on Tuesday wore 'Free Gleizes' scarves and an L'Équipe reporter read a question on Christophe Gleizes’s behalf to highlight his absence.
- FIFA president Gianni Infantino has publicly urged an Algerian presidential pardon and said Gleizes retains World Cup accreditation and a place at the tournament.
- Gleizes was arrested in May 2024 while researching JS Kabylie and was convicted in June 2025 of 'glorifying terrorism' and alleged links to a separatist group, a ruling criticized by press‑freedom advocates.
- France coach Didier Deschamps met Gleizes’ parents at the French Cup final, FIFA invited them to France’s World Cup opener, and Gleizes’ mother told the BBC he feels 'cut off' in prison.
- The high-profile displays put fresh international and diplomatic attention on the case, keep press‑freedom questions in the public eye, and so far no legal reversal or release has been reported.