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December 15, 2025 – France/Algeria –
A French journalist imprisoned in Algeria has filed an appeal with the country’s highest court, as his family and international press-freedom organizations intensify calls for his release, turning the case into a growing diplomatic and human-rights issue.
Christophe Gleizes, a freelance French journalist specializing in North Africa, was sentenced earlier this year to seven years in prison on charges linked to national security and alleged contacts deemed illegal by Algerian authorities. Gleizes has consistently denied wrongdoing, with his lawyers arguing that his reporting activities were mischaracterized and criminalized. His legal team has now formally appealed the verdict to Algeria’s Supreme Court, seeking to overturn the conviction or reduce the sentence.
The case has drawn strong condemnation from press-freedom advocates, who say the prosecution reflects a broader pattern of repression against independent journalism in Algeria. Organizations, including Reporters Without Borders (RSF), have described Gleizes as a journalist imprisoned solely for doing his job, calling the sentence disproportionate and incompatible with international standards on freedom of expression.
As legal efforts continue, Gleizes’s mother, Sylvie Godard, has made a public appeal directly to Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, requesting a humanitarian pardon for her son. In emotional statements, she has emphasized her son’s dedication to journalism, his respect for Algerian society, and the toll his imprisonment has taken on his health and family. She has urged Algerian authorities to show clemency, particularly as the legal process drags on.
RSF has echoed this call, urging Algerian leaders to release Gleizes unconditionally or grant a presidential pardon while the appeal is pending. The organization argues that holding a journalist behind bars for reporting damages Algeria’s international standing and undermines commitments to press freedom.
French officials have also been monitoring the case closely. While Paris has so far responded cautiously, the continued detention and the appeal process are expected to remain a point of diplomatic engagement between France and Algeria.
Gleizes’s case unfolds amid a tense environment for journalists in Algeria, where reporters and bloggers have faced arrests, trials, and heavy sentences in recent years under broadly defined security and anti-terror laws. Media advocates warn that such prosecutions create a chilling effect, discouraging independent reporting on sensitive political and social issues.
As Algeria’s top court considers the appeal, supporters say the outcome will be a crucial test of the country’s commitment to judicial fairness and press freedom. For Gleizes’s family and colleagues, the hope remains that legal review or executive clemency will bring an end to what they describe as an unjust imprisonment of a journalist for his work.
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