Key facts
- French sports journalist Christophe Gleizes is serving a seven-year prison sentence in Algeria.
- He was arrested in May 2024 while reporting on the football club Jeunesse Sportive de Kabylie (JSK).
- Authorities accused Gleizes of supporting terrorism and possessing publications harmful to national security.
- The Ballon d'Or ceremony dedicated its event to Gleizes, highlighting his detention.
The plight of French sports journalist Christophe Gleizes, who is serving a seven-year prison sentence in Algeria, was highlighted at the prestigious Ballon d'Or ceremony in London. Presenters Kate Scott and Thierry Henry dedicated the event to the 37-year-old reporter, displaying his photo and the hashtag #FreeGleize. Gleizes was arrested in May 2024 while on a trip to report on the football club Jeunesse Sportive de Kabylie (JSK) in the Kabylie region. Authorities accused him of supporting terrorism and possessing publications harmful to national security, stemming from his contacts with a JSK official associated with the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylie (MAK), which Algeria designated a terrorist organisation in 2021. Gleizes acknowledged mistakes during his appeal hearing and requested mercy. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is campaigning for his release.