# RSF Organizes Solidarity Match for Imprisoned Journalist Christophe Gleizes French reporter Christophe Gleizes marks 500 days of detention in Algeria. - **Source:** [Le Monde – International](https://www.lemonde.fr/international) - **Published:** 2026-11-11 - **Topic:** [politics](https://brifing.si/c/politics) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/23d42f87-db06-4d17-89c9-ad6cdeeb2e36 ## Journalist Held in Algeria Christophe Gleizes, a 37-year-old French journalist, has been detained in Algeria for five hundred days. Arrested in May 2024 while reporting on the Jeunesse Sportive de Kabylie football club, he was later sentenced to seven years in prison for apology for terrorism. He remains the only French journalist currently imprisoned abroad. ## Solidarity Match Initiative Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is organizing a solidarity football match on Wednesday, November 11, to demand his release. The event, held in western Paris, will be closed to the public but broadcast via TV5Monde and multiple digital platforms, including the YouTube channels of the French Football Federation and L’Equipe. ## High-Profile Support Network Approximately forty notable figures are expected to participate in the match, including former international footballers Robert Pirès and Vikash Dhorasoo. Other attendees include Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire, actor Denis Podalydès, and prominent journalists such as Florence Aubenas and Edwy Plenel, all uniting to highlight the ongoing case of the imprisoned reporter. ## Professional Solidarity Efforts Over forty journalist societies recently published a joint tribune in Libération, emphasizing that Gleizes is being denied his fundamental right to inform. RSF Director General Thibaut Bruttin stated that the reporter belongs in press tribunes rather than a prison cell, following similar displays of support during the 2026 World Cup. ## Personal Impact and Family The human toll of the detention is significant for the journalist's family. His centenarian grandmother, Georgette Belle, expressed deep sorrow over the possibility of never seeing him again due to her advanced age. His mother, Sylvie Godard, remains deeply concerned about the impact of upcoming political transitions on his case. ## Political Timing Concerns Sylvie Godard has expressed anxiety regarding the French presidential election, fearing that a change in government could stall diplomatic efforts. She noted that the time required for a new administration to settle could further prolong her son's imprisonment, making a resolution before the election period a critical priority for his family. ## Conditions in Koléa Prison Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco, the Archbishop of Algiers, provides monthly visits to Gleizes at the Koléa prison. He describes the journalist as a resilient individual who maintains his mental well-being by reading extensively and fostering positive relationships with his fellow inmates, despite the challenging circumstances of his long-term incarceration. ## Broader Implications of Detention The case of Christophe Gleizes serves as a focal point for international debates regarding press freedom and the protection of journalists working abroad. As the only French reporter currently held in a foreign prison, his situation represents a complex intersection of legal, diplomatic, and humanitarian challenges requiring urgent international attention. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.lemonde.fr/actualite-medias/article/2026/11/11/christophe-gleizes-journaliste-detenu-en-algerie-depuis-500-jours-rsf-organise-un-match-solidaire-pour-appeler-a-sa-liberation_6808956_3236.html — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._