The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has joined a growing international campaign to free French journalist Christophe Gleizes, after an Algerian appeals court confirmed a seven-year prison sentence on terrorism-related charges. While Algiers insists it is applying its anti-terror laws, European institutions, press freedom groups and the French government warn that the case risks criminalising journalism and further eroding media freedom in the region.
According to reporting by Le Monde and other French media, Christophe Gleizes, a 36-year-old freelance sports journalist whose work appears in So Foot and Society, travelled to Algeria in May 2024 to investigate the history of the football club Jeunesse Sportive de Kabylie (JSK) and the death of player Albert Ebossé. He entered the country on a tourist visa, believing he would not receive journalist accreditation.
On 28 May 2024 he was arrested in Tizi Ouzou while working on the JSK story. In June 2025 a court sentenced him to seven years in prison for “glorifying terrorism” and “possessing publications for propaganda purposes harmful to national interests,” a verdict that was condemned by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) as a misuse of anti-terror laws against a reporter. On 3 December 2025, the Tizi Ouzou Court of Appeal upheld that sentence, closing off ordinary legal remedies.
In a detailed briefing, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) describes the accusations as “completely unfounded” and stresses that Gleizes had contact, in a journalistic context, with figures linked to the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylie (MAK), which Algeria designated a terrorist organisation in 2021. RSF notes that he is currently the only French journalist imprisoned anywhere in the world.
PACE steps in from Strasbourg
In a statement published on 8 December, PACE’s General Rapporteur on media freedom and the safety of journalists, Valentina Grippo (Italy, ALDE), said she was “deeply concerned” by the appeals court’s decision and urged the Algerian authorities to release Gleizes immediately. She underlined that he was “simply doing his job” when reporting on JSK and called for respect for press freedom and the safety of journalists. The statement is available on the Council of Europe website under the title “PACE General Rapporteur urges immediate release of French journalist sentenced in Algeria”.
For PACE, this intervention is consistent with its broader work on media freedom. In October, the Assembly adopted a resolution calling for the release of journalists detained in the context of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and other conflicts, a development covered by The European Times. By taking up the Gleizes case, PACE signals that the safety of journalists remains a priority not only inside Council of Europe member states, but also in its wider neighbourhood.
Diplomatic pressure from Paris and beyond
The French government has reacted publicly at several stages of the case. After the appeal ruling, the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs issued a statement titled “Algeria – Confirmation of the sentencing on appeal of the journalist Christophe Gleizes”, saying France “deeply regrets” the decision, reiterating its call for his release and reaffirming its commitment to freedom of the press everywhere in the world.
French President Emmanuel Macron has also described the verdict as “excessive” and “unjust,” pledging to continue diplomatic efforts so that the journalist can return home, as reported by CPJ’s Middle East and North Africa programme and French international media. International agencies such as Reuters and the Associated Press underline that, in practice, many observers now see a presidential pardon by Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune as the only realistic path to his release.
Press freedom groups warn of a dangerous precedent
Press freedom organisations see the Gleizes case as emblematic of a wider trend. RSF’s emergency statement, echoed by a joint post from the Sport & Rights Alliance, frames the ruling as an “appalling decision” that punishes a journalist for covering football and its political context. CPJ’s December update on Algeria highlights that the same appeals session also confirmed or imposed penalties on other media figures, including columnist Saad Bouakba and a television director, reinforcing fears of a broader crackdown.
These organisations argue that using counter-terrorism legislation against journalists has a chilling effect far beyond a single case. When interviews, research material or contacts with controversial figures are treated as criminal evidence, reporters may avoid sensitive topics altogether, leaving the public without independent information on security policy, separatist movements or state abuses.
Anti-terror laws and shrinking civic space in Kabylie
The charges against Gleizes are closely tied to Algeria’s approach to the Kabylie region and the MAK movement. As noted by CPJ and regional outlets, authorities have tightened controls on political activism and media coverage in Kabylie, a centre of Amazigh identity and dissent. Contacts with MAK members, even for journalistic purposes, can now be construed as links to a terrorist organisation.
International media, including France 24, stress that the case unfolds against a backdrop of already fragile relations between Paris and Algiers, marked by disputes over migration and Western Sahara. Critics warn that, by maintaining such a harsh sentence, Algeria risks further damaging its image abroad and undermining its own stated commitment to the rule of law.
A test case for Europe’s press freedom agenda
For European institutions, the Gleizes case is a reminder that their declarations on media freedom are closely watched beyond EU borders. The Council of Europe and the European Union both mark World Press Freedom Day with strong statements of principle, as in the EU’s 2025 declaration on World Press Freedom Day. Whether those principles are backed by sustained, coordinated diplomatic action will be an important measure of credibility for Brussels and Strasbourg alike.
For journalists, meanwhile, the outcome will signal how far states can go in applying anti-terror laws to ordinary reporting. If a sports investigation can lead to years in prison, many fear that cross-border reporting on security, separatism or corruption could become too risky, especially for freelancers without institutional backing. As RSF has repeatedly insisted, “journalism is not a crime” – but the Gleizes case will help determine how far that principle still holds in practice.
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