A French journalist sentenced to seven years in prison for wanting to write on a football club – Liberation

Of prison for trying to write an article on a football club. French journalist Christophe Gleizes was sentenced to seven years in prison in Algeria, especially for “Apology of terrorism”, announced this Sunday 29 June reporters (RSF) on Sunday, June 29, and its employer, the SO Press group, denouncing a sanction “unfair”. “A call will be brought up tomorrow, Monday, June 30”said RSF, according to whom this conviction intervened “At the end of a thirteen -month judicial control”.

36 -year -old independent journalist, magazine collaborator So Foot et Society (SO Press group), Christophe Gleizes went to Algeria in May 2024, notably for a subject on the Kabylie sports youth club. According to RSF, he was arrested on May 28, 2024 in Tizi Ouzou (in the north of the country) and placed under judicial supervision, for “Having entered the country with a tourist visa, to “Apology of terrorism” et “Possession of publications with the purpose of propaganda harming to the national interest”».

“These last accusations, without foundation and completely refuted, are due to the fact that the journalist had contacts, in 2015 and 2017, with the head of the Tizi Ouzou football club, also responsible for the Kabylia Self -determination Movement (MAK), classified terrorist organization by the Algerian authorities in 2021”said the press defense NGO. The first two exchanges between the two men “Took place long before this categorization by the Algerian authorities”underlines RSF, and “The only exchange that occurred in 2024 aimed at the preparation of its report on the football club, the JSK, which Christophe Gleizes never hid”.

“His conviction to seven years in prison has no meaning and demonstrates only one fact: nothing escapes politics today and Algerian justice has missed an important opportunity to go out from above” in this case “indignant the director general of RSF, Thibaut Bruttin. The founder of So Press, Franck Annese, also reacted: “It is important that everything is done, including politically and diplomatically, so that justice prevails and that Christophe can find his loved ones and his drafting.”