French former minister Ségolène Royal on Friday visited French journalist Christophe Gleizes in prison in Algeria, where he is serving a seven-year sentence for alleged support of terrorism, after meeting with the country's President Abdelmadjid Tebboune – raising hopes for a possible turnaround in his case.
Royal, who now heads up the France-Algeria Association, an organisation that promotes friendship and cooperation between the two countries, met with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune on Friday morning, before visiting Gleizes.
She had received permission to visit the French journalist following his transfer from a prison in Tizi Ouzou in the region of Kabylie to Koléa prison, close to Algiers.
"I met someone with great inner strength, who is determined to keep going," Royal told newspaper Le Parisien shortly after their meeting on Friday.
"He is being treated well, reads a lot, exercises, and follows the news. He wants to continue pursuing journalism, his passion, as soon as possible."
Gleizes' mother, Sylvie Godard, described Royal's visit as "quite exceptional".
The sports journalist is serving a seven-year sentence on charges of "glorifying terrorism" over his alleged ties to the separatist movement, the Movement for the Self-determination of Kabylie (MAK), which Algiers has declared a terrorist organisation.
His conviction, which was upheld on appeal, followed his arrest in May 2024 while he was carrying out an investigation into a Kabyle football club.
It has drawn criticism from human rights groups and sparked outcry in France. Gleizes' parents have called on Tebboune to pardon their son.
Tensions between Algeria and France escalated after France recognised a Moroccan autonomy plan for Western Sahara in 2024. Algeria, which supports the Polisario Front's independence movement, saw France's stance as an affront.
Apart from Archbishop Jean-Paul Vesco, Royal is the first public figure to meet with Gleizes in prison.
She sees her visit as a step towards rebuilding trust, telling reporters she was "very honoured" to talk with the Algerian leader and that he was open to discussions "when respect and consideration are present".
Algeria freezes ties with French Senate in latest salvo in Western Sahara dispute
'Feeling powerless'
On Thursday, family, friends and supporters of Gleizes gathered for a concert at the Bataclan in Paris to push for his release. The benefit concert was organised by NGO Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
Godard read out a message from her son: "Thanks to you, I do not feel alone, and we'll soon be reunited."
Gleizes, a contributor to the French magazines So Foot and Society, was arrested on 28 May last year and has been imprisoned in Algeria since the end of June 2025.
"At the time, we were promised that he would be back within the week. And now, actually, it’s been a long time," said Franck Annese, director of So Foot magazine. "It would be good if people got moving a bit – and people in higher places too. Because we feel very powerless.”
Vikash Dhorasoo, a former international football player, was among those at the benefit concert.
“What I would really like is for other major footballers to speak out. You know which important players could bring a lot of weight to his fight?” he asked the crowd.
The audience fired back with the name Zinedine Zidane – the French footballing legend, who has Kabyle ancestry.
With Franco-Algerian relations at an all-time low, can they get back on track?
Algeria has invited France's Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez for talks with his counterpart, but these are yet to materialise.
"We are reaching out to Algeria on a number of issues. We must seize this opportunity," the minister told France Inter radio on Friday.
"We are expecting significant progress on two issues," he said, citing Gleizes' situation and the repatriation of undocumented Algerians from France. The government says it is open to overhauling a 1968 migration agreement, which followed decolonisation, allowing Algerians to easily obtain French residency.
