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A coalition of more than 100 prominent public figures—including celebrated football coaches Vahid Halilhodzic and Hervé Renard, Goncourt Prize-winning author Mohamed Mbougar Sarr, and acclaimed filmmaker Michel Hazanavicius—has called for the immediate release of Christophe Gleizes, a French sports journalist sentenced to seven years in prison in Algeria.
Gleizes, a contributor to So Foot and Society magazines, was convicted on charges of “glorifying terrorism” and “possessing propaganda publications harmful to national interests”, stemming from his reporting on the Kabylie region’s football history and interviews with figures allegedly linked to the banned Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylie (MAK). Rights groups, including Reporters Without Borders (RSF), have denounced the charges as baseless and politically motivated.
The campaign for Gleizes’ release has garnered support from a wide spectrum of cultural and sporting institutions, including:
- Football clubs: OGC Nice, Paris FC, Racing Club de Lens
- Media personalities: Jean-Pierre Foucault, Samuel Étienne, Yann Barthès
- Artists and authors: Catherine Deneuve, Nicolas Mathieu, Benjamin Biolay
RSF, alongside Gleizes’ family and employer, has launched a support committee and petition, urging Algerian authorities to overturn the conviction and calling on French officials to mobilize diplomatic channels.
“This journalist belongs on the pitch, not in prison,” said RSF Director Thibaut Bruttin, emphasizing the need to defend press freedom and journalistic integrity.
You can read the full statement and list of signatories on RSF’s official campaign page.
