Sports journalists' associations from France, Spain, England and Argentina have joined forces to demand the release of Christophe Gleizes. detained in Algeria for over a year. Their joint appeal was made public as the national teams of these four countries prepare to play in the World Cup semi-finals. The French journalist was supposed to cover the competition for So Foot et Society. His accreditation was indeed issued by FIFA.More the space reserved for him in the press box remained unoccupied.
Four national associations united behind the French journalist
The Union of Sports Journalists in France, the Spanish Association of Sports Journalists, the Argentine Federation of Sports Journalists, and the Sports Journalists' Association of Great Britain have signed a joint statement. The International Sports Press Association has also lent its support to this mobilization. These organizations represent sports journalists from the four nations still competing in the World Cup. France and Spain face off this Tuesday, July 14, in Dallas, while England and Argentina are scheduled to meet on Wednesday for the second semi-final. The signatories point out that Christophe Gleizes should have been working alongside his colleagues during the competition, covering the matches, interviewing the players, and reporting on the tournament. They summarize his absence with a phrase that has become the symbol of the campaign waged since the beginning of the World Cup: "His seat in the press box remains empty."
"Informing is not a crime."
The four organizations refuse to allow a journalist to be imprisoned for actions taken in the course of his work. They call on the Algerian authorities to allow Christophe Gleizes to return to his family, his colleagues, and the football pitches. The statement also emphasizes the contradiction between the values of unity championed by football and the detention of a reporter specializing in this sport. Reporters Without Borders summarizes the position of the mobilized organizations with these words: "Informing is not a crime." This joint stance gives the case an additional international dimension. French journalists are no longer alone in publicly calling for his release. Representatives of the Spanish, Argentinian, and British sports press directly associated their names with this appeal during the final week of the World Cup.
Arrested during a report on JS Kabylie
Christophe Gleizes, 37, is a freelance journalist specializing in African football. He is a regular contributor to So Foot and SocietyHe traveled to Algeria in May 2024 to work on Jeunesse Sportive de Kabylie, the Tizi Ouzou club, and on several topics related to its history. He was arrested on May 28, 2024, and subsequently placed under judicial supervision. The Algerian justice system accused him, in particular, of professional contact with an official linked to the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylie (MAK), which was classified as a terrorist organization by Algerian authorities in 2021. However, some of the communications used against him dated back to 2015 and 2017, before this classification. According to his supporters, the contact established in 2024 concerned the preparation of his report on the Kabyle club. Christophe Gleizes has never claimed any political affiliation with the MAK and has always presented his activities as strictly journalistic.
Seven-year prison sentence upheld on appeal
On June 29, 2025, after thirteen months of judicial supervision, Christophe Gleizes was sentenced by the Tizi Ouzou court He was sentenced to seven years in prison with an immediate warrant for his arrest. The charges were "apology for terrorism" and "possession of publications for propaganda purposes detrimental to the national interest." He was immediately incarcerated. The Tizi Ouzou Court of Appeal upheld the seven-year prison sentence on December 3, 2025, despite appeals for release filed by his defense, his family, and numerous professional organizations.
Christophe Gleizes subsequently withdrew his appeal to the Court of Cassation. An appeal filed by the Algerian public prosecutor's office was also rejected, thus ending the legal proceedings. This closure now allows, from a legal standpoint, for the consideration of a possible pardon granted by Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. However, no such measure has yet led to his release.
FIFA accreditation and an empty chair in the stadiums
Before the start of the World Cup, FIFA issued official accreditation to Christophe Gleizes. A chair bearing his name was placed in the press area to symbolize his absence during the tournament held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Gianni Infantino publicly called for his release on the eve of the tournament. The FIFA president also noted that Christophe Gleizes was then the only journalist in the world detained for his work as a sports journalist. His parents, Sylvie and Francis Godard, were invited to attend France's first match against Senegal.
Didier Deschamps had answered a question transmitted from prison
On June 15, the day before the French national team's opening match, Christophe Gleizes symbolically participated in the team's press conference. A question he had prepared while in detention, concerning the water breaks implemented during the World Cup, was read by Vincent Duluc, president of the Union of Sports Journalists in France. Didier Deschamps He had answered the question before saying a few words to the journalist and his family. The French coach explained that he hoped Christophe Gleizes would soon be able to regain his freedom and ask his own questions at future press conferences.
More than a year of mobilization in France and abroad
Since his imprisonment, several campaigns have been organized to keep his name in the public eye. A petition garnered tens of thousands of signatures. Ligue 1 clubs, journalism schools, local authorities, sports figures, artists, and journalists have called for his release. The French Football Federation installed a giant portrait of the reporter on the facade of its headquarters. His family kicked off Ligue 1 matches and the French Cup final. A benefit concert held at the Bataclan in January 2026 drew over 1,000 people.
As the four best teams in the World Cup battle for a place in the final, sports journalists' associations have decided to focus their message on the absence of Christophe Gleizes. The World Cup will end on Sunday, but the French journalist will remain detained in Algeria until a judicial or presidential decision secures his release.
