Algerian Appeals Court Upholds 7-Year Sentence for French Journalist, Sparking Press Freedom Concerns

Tizi Ouzou, Algeria — An appeals court on Wednesday affirmed a seven-year prison sentence for French sports journalist Christophe Gleizes, dashing hopes of an early release and renewing international concern about press freedoms in Algeria.

Gleizes, 36, a freelance writer, was convicted six months ago after conducting an interview with a soccer official alleged to have links to a banned separatist movement. The court found him guilty under Algeria's anti-terrorism laws and of possessing publications deemed to be propaganda.

Admission and appeal

At the Tizi Ouzou Court of Appeals, Gleizes pleaded guilty and acknowledged what he called "many journalistic mistakes." He asked prosecutors for forgiveness and clemency so he could return to his family in France, his Algerian lawyer, Amirouche Bakouri, told reporters. With the appeals court's rejection, a presidential pardon from President Abdelmadjid Tebboune appears to be the only remaining route to his release.

Broader context

Reporters Without Borders and other rights groups have criticized the prosecution, saying the charges stem from Gleizes' contact with the head of JS Kabylie, a club whose former leader was affiliated with the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylia — a group Algeria designated a terrorist organization several years ago. Authorities say Gleizes entered the country on a tourist visa in 2024 while reporting on JS Kabylie.

"France reaffirms its attachment to freedom of the press everywhere in the world," a spokesperson for France's Foreign Ministry said, expressing regret at the appeals court decision and renewing calls for Gleizes' release.

The Kabylia region has long been a center of dissent in Algeria, and in recent years authorities have intensified a crackdown on separatist activism there. Observers say Algerian authorities have increasingly used broad anti-terrorism laws to restrict political speech and silence critics.

Related developments

Wednesday's ruling came days after the arrest of veteran columnist Saad Bouakba, who is now in pre-trial detention and faces charges of "defamation and insulting the symbols of the revolution" after comments made in a podcast. Though some prominent media figures have been released recently, independent outlets remain shuttered, journalists continue to face prosecution, and foreign reporters often struggle to obtain visas.

Rights organizations and French media have highlighted Gleizes' case as emblematic of mounting pressure on journalists in Algeria and have called for international attention to the implications for press freedom.