Three weeks before the opening game of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the International Press Institute (IPI) calls on the Algerian government to immediately release French sports journalist Christophe Gleizes, and urges FIFA and the sports community to step up support for press freedom.
Gleizes, who contributes to the publication So Foot and Society, was arrested in May 2024 while on a reporting trip to Algeria’s Kabylia region to cover Algerian football club JS Kabylie, the country’s most successful football team.
He was charged with “glorifying terrorism” and “possessing propaganda publications” after he interviewed the head of a football club who is accused of supporting a group designated as a terrorist organisation by the Algerian government. Gleizes’ lawyer has called the charges “baseless” and politically motivated.
After more than a year under “judicial control,” during which he could not leave the country, Gleizes was sentenced to seven years in prison in June 2025. The French government expressed “deep regret” over Gleizes’ sentencing and has repeatedly called for his release.
Gleizes’ sentence was upheld in December 2025 following an appeal trial.
IPI’s call for Gleizes’ release comes amid a diplomatic thaw between France and Algeria. Earlier this week, French justice minister Gérald Darmanin visited Algeria to discuss judicial cooperation between the two countries and the status of Gleizes. Following the visit, Darmanin said he was “very reassured” by his conversations with Algerian authorities about Gleizes’ case.
In the hopes of securing a presidential pardon, Gleizes dropped a final appeal of his conviction earlier this month. Following the withdrawal of his appeal, Gleizes’ mother said the journalist had put “his complete trust in President Tebboune’s clemency”.
Next month, France and Algeria will both compete in this year’s FIFA World Cup. During Gleizes’ December appeal, a high-ranking FIFA official appeared in the Tizi‑Ouzou courtroom, signalling concern for Gleizes’ case. In April, RC Lens, a Ligue 1 French football club, played an exhibition match in a show of support for Gleizes.
During a ceremony in honour of World Press Freedom Day on May 3 presided over by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Algeria’s minister of communication highlighted the role of press freedom as “not only a fundamental right of journalists,” but also “an essential pillar of our democratic process,” noting the president’s efforts to support freedom of expression.
“IPI calls on President Tebboune to back up his government’s pledges to support press freedom with real, concrete actions, starting with the immediate release of Christophe Gleizes with all charges dropped,” said IPI Director of Advocacy Amy Brouillette. “Ahead of the World Cup’s start, Algerian authorities must capitalise on this opportunity to make a good-faith gesture in support of independent journalism, allow Christophe to return home to his family, and cease the weaponisation of Algeria’s legal system against the independent media.”