French sport comes together behind his face. Sentenced on appeal to seven years in prison in Algeria for “apology of terrorism” on December 3, Christophe Gleizes can count on the support of those involved in French sport, starting with football.
Indeed, the French Football Federation (FFF) displayed a large portrait of the 36-year-old journalist on the facade of its headquarters on Boulevard de Grenelle this Wednesday. “The FFF calls for the release of Christophe Gleizes, French sports journalist sentenced to 7 years in prison in Algeria,” we can read on the walls of the body. Registration is accompanied by #FreeGleizes and a QR Code linking to a petition demanding the release of the contributor to So Foot and Society magazines.
“A journalist unjustly condemned”
“We must stand alongside one of our fellow citizens who is unjustly detained,” declared Philippe Diallo on Saturday, December 13, when announcing the upcoming display of the portrait of Christophe Gleizes. “When we talk about values, we have to put them into action,” invited the president of the FFF, who organized a rally this Thursday in support of the journalist at the headquarters of the Federation, in the presence of his family and the support committee working for his acquittal.
“Through Christophe Gleizes, we are firstly defending a man, a journalist who was unjustly condemned because he went to Algeria, because he tried to exercise his profession as a journalist,” declared Mr. Diallo on the occasion of this gathering.
The CNOSF also supports
The “3F” initiative comes after that undertaken by the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF). The organization chaired by Amélie Oudéa-Castéra reaffirmed on December 5 that “freedom of information was a fundamental principle in a democracy”.
“He’s a child of sport French, he’s a football kid and we won’t let him go,” said the former Minister of Sports this Thursday evening, announcing that a portrait of the journalist would also be displayed on the facade of his body.
Imprisoned since June, the native of Agen went to Algeria to write an article on Jeunesse Sportive de Kabylie (JSK), the country’s most successful football club based in Tizi-Ouzou, 100 km east of Algiers. Implicated for “apology of terrorism” and “possession of publications for the purpose of propaganda harming the national interest”, Christophe Gleizes is also accused of having entered into contact with a leader of the JSK, known to be one of the leaders of the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylie (MAK), classified as terrorist by the Algerian authorities in 2021.
Other initiatives to come
The last hope of his family and loved ones, the Tizi-Ouzou Court of Appeal confirmed on December 3 the French journalist’s seven-year prison sentence.
On the occasion of the 32nd finals of the Coupe de France, scheduled for Friday 19, Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 December, messages of support for Christophe Gleizes will be broadcast in the stadiums. This is also an initiative taken by the FFF.
A support evening will also be organized on Thursday January 29 at 8:00 p.m. in Paris, at the Bataclan, announced Thibaut Bruttin, the general director of Reporters Without Borders, this Thursday evening.
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