The parents of prominent French sports journalist Christophe Gleizes, sentenced to seven years in prison in Algeria, have spoken out about his condition, describing him as being in a “fighting mood” but increasingly isolated.

Gleizes, a contributor to So Foot magazine who specialises in African football, was convicted in late June on charges of “glorifying terrorism”, a charge his family has dismissed as “totally absurd.” He is being held in the city of Tizi Ouzou, northeast of Algiers, pending an appeal expected to be heard this autumn.

“Even if his morale is high, even if he is in fighting mood, he feels completely cut off from the world, isolated,” his mother, Sylvie Godard, told AFP during a visit to the Paris offices of Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

She and her husband, Francis, stressed that their son currently the only French journalist detained abroad should not be used as a pawn in worsening relations between Paris and Algiers.
“We don’t want Christophe’s case to be used to resolve political issues with which Christophe has nothing to do,” Godard said.

Gleizes’ detention comes against the backdrop of escalating diplomatic tensions between France and its former colony. Relations soured sharply after French President Emmanuel Macron, in July 2024, voiced support for Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara a disputed territory where Algeria backs the pro-independence Polisario Front.

In recent months, both countries have engaged in tit-for-tat expulsions of consular staff. Algeria has also sentenced French-Algerian novelist Boualem Sansal to five years in prison for “damaging national unity,” fuelling concerns over the treatment of dissenting voices.

Francis Godard described his stepson as a “collateral victim of the bad relations between France and Algeria at the moment.”

RSF has pledged to continue campaigning for Gleizes’ release, warning that his case reflects the rising risks facing journalists caught in geopolitical disputes.