An Algerian court has removed a key legal obstacle to the possible release of French journalist Christophe Gleizes, raising hopes that President Abdelmadjid Tebboune could grant a pardon in the coming weeks. The Court of Cassation rejected prosecutors’ efforts to seek a harsher sentence and acknowledged Gleizes’ decision to withdraw his own appeal. Gleizes, a sports journalist, was arrested in 2024 while reporting on a football club in Algeria’s Kabylia region. He was later sentenced to seven years in prison for allegedly glorifying terrorism through contacts with members of a separatist group that was designated as a terrorist organization by Algerian authorities. His lawyers say the president now holds the power to resolve the case. The development comes as relations between Algeria and France show signs of improvement after nearly two years of diplomatic strain.
Le Monde
