In brief
During its first London hosting, the Ballon d'Or ceremony dedicated a segment to 37‑year‑old journalist Christophe Gleizes, who is serving a seven‑year sentence in Algeria for alleged support of the outlawed Movement for the Self‑Determination of Kabylie. A screen projected his photo and the hashtag #FreeGleizes, highlighting the appeal of Reporters Without Borders. Gleizes was arrested in May 2024 after traveling to report on Jeunesse Sportive de Kabylie, a club linked to the banned group. The case has become a flashpoint in deteriorating French–Algerian relations, intensified by disputes over Western Sahara. French officials, including Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin, have urged Algerian authorities to allow Gleizes to reunite with his mother while diplomatic tensions simmer.
In its first host city in London, the Ballon d'Or awards included a dedicated segment for Christophe Gleizes, a 37‑year‑old French sports journalist currently serving a seven‑year prison sentence in Algeria.
On a large screen, his photograph and the number of days he has been incarcerated, 1 year, 3 months and 27 days, were displayed alongside the hashtag #FreeGleizes, drawing attention from the global football community.
Gleizes was arrested in May 2024 after traveling to the Kabylie region – home to the Amazigh people – to cover a match for Jeunesse Sportive de Kabylie. Algerian authorities charged him with supporting terrorism, linking his contacts to the Movement for the Self‑Determination of Kabylie, which the country declared a terrorist organization in 2021.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) argues that Gleizes’ interactions were purely journalistic and, in a December appeal hearing, he admitted to mistakes in visa applications but maintained that his work was legitimate.
In the wake of the ceremony, RSF announced a solidarity football match set for 11 November to mark his 500th day in detention, with former France internationals Robert Pirès and Vikash Dhorasoo among the initial sign‑ups.
The incident has deepened a fraught diplomatic thaw between France and Algeria, marked by ambassador expulsions and France’s 2024 recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara – a move the Algerian government strongly opposes.
French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin visited Algiers in May and urged Algerian authorities to allow Gleizes to reunite with his mother, hoping that President Abdelmadjid Tebboune would be receptive to the request.
