Emmanuel Macron expresses ‘deep concern’ after Algerian court upholds seven-year sentence for French football journalist Christophe Gleizes | OneFootball

French President Emmanuel Macron has voiced his “deep concern” following the confirmation on Wednesday of a seven-year prison sentence handed to French sports journalist Christophe Gleizes, detained in Algeria since June.

In a statement released by the Élysée, Macron said he had learned of the verdict “with deep concern,” adding that his thoughts were with Gleizes and his family. The president reaffirmed that France would “continue to act with the Algerian authorities to obtain his release and his return to France as soon as possible.”

Gleizes, 36, a contributor to So Foot and Society, travelled to Algeria in May 2024 to report on JS Kabylie, the most decorated club in Algerian football, based in Tizi Ouzou. He was later arrested and charged with “apology for terrorism,” a decision that has drawn condemnation from NGOs including Reporters Sans Frontières, as well as figures across the French political spectrum.

French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez stated on Thursday that Gleizes’ release now forms “a major element” of the ongoing diplomatic discussions between Paris and Algiers. Those talks have been re-energised since Algeria granted a mid-November presidential pardon to Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal.GFFN | George Boxall