Home / Crime and Justice / Journalist Jailed for 7 Years, Misses World Cup
Journalist Jailed for 7 Years, Misses World Cup
29 Jun
Summary
- French journalist sentenced to seven years for glorifying terrorism.
- He was arrested in May 2024 while reporting on a prominent Algerian football club.
- FIFA had accredited him to cover the current World Cup tournament.
Christophe Gleizes, a 37-year-old French journalist, was sentenced to seven years imprisonment on June 29, 2025, for "glorifying terrorism." Gleizes was apprehended in May 2024 while conducting journalistic work on Jeunesse Sportive de Kabylie, a prominent Algerian football club. His accreditation for the World Cup, which began on June 11 and concludes on July 19, remains unused as he is incarcerated.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino expressed hope for a presidential pardon that would allow Gleizes to attend the tournament. Gleizes had previously withdrawn an appeal before Algeria's Court of Cassation in March, aiming to facilitate a presidential pardon. Algerian courts also rejected a prosecutor's appeal in May, concluding legal proceedings.
Gleizes's family and supporters view these legal outcomes as paving the way for a humanitarian gesture and a swift presidential pardon. His parents expressed their continued hope for his return. Although prison conditions are reported as good, the strain of being "cut off from the world" is evident.
