“He was just doing his job,” protested RSF

Many French media on Wednesday called for the release of journalist Christophe Gleizes, imprisoned in Algeria, before an appeal hearing in early December.

“Christophe Gleizes is a French journalist who is just doing his job“, protested Wednesday November 26 to the international editorial staff of Radio France Thibaut Bruttin, general director of Reporters Without Borders (RSF). The NGO is a signatory of the Alliance forum of the French general information press, which brings together 309 titles and around 13,500 journalists, published this Wednesday in support of the journalist Christophe Gleizes, detained in Algeria, days before his appeal hearing on December 3.

“He’s in prison and has nothing to do there“, continued Thibaut Bruttin.”He is one of many journalists caught up in news that is beyond their control, and in this case diplomatic matters that are completely foreign to him.“, he complained.”The outcome of this regrettable event is of course the court’s decision, whatever it may be.“, added the RSF Director General.”We have strong reasons to believe that the first instance decision ignores the journalistic work carried out by Christophe Gleizes“, he assured.

“Christophe Gleizes’ struggle is transpartisan, all political forces have expressed themselves“to support it,”from Marine Le Pen to Jean-Luc Mélenchon“, emphasized Thibaut Bruttin.”This is a professional and popular destination“, he emphasized.”More than 20,000 people have signed the petition“, he recalled.”That’s a sporting reason“also, and”We applaud the mobilization of football clubs who clearly support Christophe“, concluded the Director General of Reporters Without Borders.

Magazine contributor”So Feet” And “Public“, the 36-year-old journalist was sentenced to seven years in prison at the end of June in the first instance in Algeria, primarily for”apology for terrorism“. The judge accused him of having been in contact with the leader of the Jeunesse Sportive de Kabylie (JSK) football club, which is also responsible for the Kabylie Self-Determination Movement (MAK), which was classified as a terrorist organization by Algerian authorities in 2021. The journalist arrived in Algeria in May 2024 to do a story about JSK, one of the country’s biggest clubs based in Tizi Ouzou, east of the Algiers capital.