FIFA President Gianni Infantino said he hopes French sports journalist Christophe Gleizes will receive a presidential pardon from Algerian authorities.
The case highlights the precarious nature of reporting in regions with active separatist movements and the intersection of sports journalism and international diplomacy.
Gleizes was arrested in Algeria in May 2024 [1]. He was later sentenced in June 2024 [1], [2] to seven years in prison [1]. Algerian authorities convicted the journalist of glorifying terrorism after he reported on JSK, a club based in the Kabylia region of the northeast where a separatist movement is active [3], [5].
As of this week, Gleizes has been detained for about one year [2], [4]. The detention has occurred against a backdrop of heightened diplomatic tensions between France and Algeria [5].
To bring attention to the journalist's situation, an empty seat was left for Gleizes at a FIFA World Cup press conference held in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico [4]. The gesture served as a silent protest and a reminder of the journalist's absence from the global sporting event.
Infantino said he hopes the Algerian government would grant a pardon to allow Gleizes to return to his professional duties. The FIFA president did not specify if the organization is engaging in formal diplomatic negotiations with the Algerian state, but the public call for a pardon marks a significant step in the organization's response to the journalist's imprisonment.
“Gianni Infantino said he hopes French sports journalist Christophe Gleizes will receive a presidential pardon”
The detention of Christophe Gleizes illustrates the risks journalists face when covering sports in politically volatile regions. By leaving an empty seat at a high-profile World Cup event and issuing a public plea, FIFA is leveraging its global platform to apply pressure on the Algerian government, signaling that the international sports community views the 'glorifying terrorism' charge as a restriction on press freedom.
