In brief
During the London‑based Ballon d’Or ceremony run by France Football, presenters Kate Scott and Thierry Henry honoured football awards while spotlighting Christophe Gleizes, a French journalist imprisoned in Algeria on terrorism charges. Gleizes had travelled to the Kabylie region to cover Jeunesse Sportive de Kabylie, but was accused of supporting a banned group and post‑sentencing held on a tourist visa. His case has drawn support from Reporters Without Borders and several former football stars, who have called for his early release. The article also contextualises the situation within broader tensions between France and Algeria, especially around the status of the Western Sahara and the treatment of journalists in Algeria.
Background of the case
Christophe Gleizes, 37, is a French sports journalist who regularly reports on African football for So Foot magazine. In May 2024 he visited the Kabylie region of Algeria to cover a match for Jeunesse Sportive de Kabylie, a club that sits in the heart of Amazigh‑owned territory.
Algerian authorities arrested Gleizes in late June, charging him with activities that support terrorism after he allegedly maintained contact with a club official linked to the Movement for the Self‑Determination of Kabylie (MAK), an organisation that Algeria declared a terrorist group in 2021. He was sentenced to seven years in prison and the case has attracted criticism from journalists’ rights groups.
The Ballon d’Or recognition
The prestigious football awards, which this year were held in London for the first time in the awards’ 70‑year history, featured presenters Kate Scott and former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry. The hosts began the ceremony by dedicating it to Gleizes, displaying a large screen with his photo and a hashtag—#FreeGleize—while noting that he had spent one year, three months and 27 days in prison.
“The Ballon d’Or France Football family would like to take this opportunity to dedicate this ceremony to Christophe Gleizes,” said Scott and Henry as the hosts called out Gleizes’ name. The gesture came amid broader French‑Algerian diplomatic tensions highlighted by the recent recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara.
International response and future action
Reporters Without Borders has called for Gleizes’ release, citing the journalistic nature of his work and his acknowledgement of erroneous reporting during his appeal hearing. In November the organization announced a solidarity football match on 11 November, Gleizes’ 500th day in detention, with former France internationals Robert Pirès and Vikash Dhorasoo, as well as mayor Emmanuel Grégoire, listed as participants.
Algerian authorities have yet to comment on the Théâtre journalism claim; however, French justice minister Gérald Darmanin has urged Algiers to allow Gleizes to reunite with his mother. The case stands as a symbol of wider concerns around the freedom of expression in Algeria, where writers and public figures have faced prosecutions for perceived offenses against national security.
