Algeria: almost 100 public figures call for release of French sportswriter

Around 100 public figures, including actors, journalists and singers, have called for the release of French sportswriter, Christophe Gleizes, who was sentenced in Algeria last month, as reported by Le Monde on July 16th.

The 36-year-old French journalist, who contributes to, “So Foot” and “Society”, two titles of the So Press group, was sentenced to seven years in prison on June 29th by the court of Tizi Ouzou in Algeria.

Gleizes has been detained in a 10m² cell with another cellmate for almost 3 weeks, following what has been dubbed an unfounded sentence by his relatives and the NGO, Reporters without Borders.

On July 15th, more than 80 figures from the world of French cinema, media, football and literature called for the release of the journalist in a forum published by Reporters without Borders (RSF). Actors and actresses: Catherine Deneuve, Vincent Dedienne and Denis Podalydès, are just some notable personalities who signed the petition. Director Michel Hazanavicius, novelists, Nicolas Mathieu and Mohamed Mbougar Sarr, and singer Benjamin Biolay have also shown their support for Gleizes.

Football clubs, Christophe Gleizes primary journalistic subject for more than ten years, have also shown their support, such as OGC Nice, Paris FC, Racing Club de Lens, the French Football Federation (FFF) and the Professional Football League (LFP).

Managing Director of RSF, Thibaut Bruttin, said in a statement: “The public support of so many diverse personalities and the creation of the support committee mark an essential step. We must join forces to obtain the immediate release of Christophe Gleizes. The place of this sports journalist is not in prison, but on the field, where he has always exercised his profession with rigor and passion. RSF calls on the highest Algerian authorities to release it, and the French authorities to mobilize all diplomatic levers to achieve, without delay, a just and humane outcome.”

Following the imprisonment and sentencing of other public figures in Algeria, such as that of French-Algerian novelist, Boualem Sansal, and Algerian historian, Mohamed El Amine Belghith, the question remains if public pressure will push Algerian authorities to release Mr. Gleizes.

Le Monde, Maghrebi.org