Tizi Ouzou, Algeria – A French journalist, Christophe Glayze, was sentenced to seven years in prison today by the Tizi Ouzou Court of Appeal. Glayze was initially arrested in May 2024 while reportedly working on a story about the Kabylie Youth Sports Club (JS Kabylie).
According to court documents, Glayze entered Algeria on a tourist visa, rather than a journalist visa, and allegedly made contact with a member of the MAK, a designated terrorist movement in Algeria. This contact reportedly led to his conviction in the initial trial, a decision upheld by the appeals court.
Glayze, 36, works for the French sports magazines So Foot and Society. During questioning, he admitted that he should have applied for a journalist visa for his assignment. He pleaded with the court for leniency, expressing his desire to return to his family. He also stated that he was unaware of the alleged affiliation of his contact with a terrorist organization.
The prosecution argued that Glayze’s activities went beyond simple journalism and posed a threat to national security. The defense maintained that he was simply a journalist pursuing a story and that his actions did not warrant such a severe sentence. The court ultimately sided with the prosecution, reaffirming the original sentence of seven years imprisonment. The case has drawn international attention and sparked debate about press freedom in Algeria.
