Algeria sentences French football journalist to seven years in jail
Algerian authorities have sentenced a French sports journalist, known for his coverage of African football, to seven years in prison on charges of "gloriying terrorism", according to media rights group Reporters Without Borders (RSF). Christophe Gleizes, 36, a contributor to So Foot magazine, was ordered by a court in Tizi Ouzou to be taken into custody immediately.
Algeria's authorities have sentenced a prominent French sports journalist specialised in African football to seven years in prison for "glorifying terrorism", media rights campaigners RSF said Sunday, denouncing the verdict as "nonsensical".
Christophe Gleizes, 36, who contributes to the So Foot magazine, was ordered by the court in Tizi Ouzou to be immediately incarcerated and will appeal the ruling on Monday, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said.
"He has now been unjustly convicted and imprisoned for simply doing his job," said the group.
Gleizes, who has co-authored a book about football in Africa, was arrested in May 2024 and then placed under judicial control and was unable to leave the country, RSF said.
"Christophe Gleizes has been subjected to an absurd judicial control order for over a year," said Thibaut Bruttin, RSF's director general.
"We are in shock," his family said in a statement shared by RSF.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
Read more on FRANCE 24 EnglishRead also:Algeria summons ambassador after France indicts consular official in dissident's abductionAlgeria issues arrest warrants for writer Daoud amid escalating tensions with France
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Congo gold miner says M23 rebels force staff to work without pay
(Reuters) -Gold miner Twangiza Mining SA has accused Rwanda-backed M23 rebels of forcing its employees to work against their will and without pay after seizing its mine in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. M23 staged a lightning advance earlier this year in eastern Congo, taking control of more land than ever before in North and South Kivu provinces. The Twangiza Mining site is located in South Kivu province. In May, the company said it had been ordered to suspend operations at the mine after M23 accused it of not paying taxes. In a new statement dated Friday, Twangiza Mining, which is headquartered in Congo and describes itself as a Chinese firm, said its workers were being "held in captivity, forced to work in inhuman conditions, without any security measure, remuneration or medical coverage." Reuters could not independently verify the company's assertions. M23 and Congo's government did not respond to requests for comment. The statement from Twangiza Mining also said production had been "paralyzed" and that the site was "entirely controlled" by a group of Rwandan nationals who, working with M23 and claiming to be new investors, have been exploiting the mine "for their own profit by treating our employees like slaves deprived of all protection". Congo, the United Nations and Western powers say Rwanda is supporting M23 by sending troops and arms. Rwanda has long denied helping M23, saying its forces were acting in self-defence against Congo's army and ethnic Hutu militiamen linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Yolande Makolo, Rwanda government spokesperson, said on Monday that Rwanda had nothing to do with the dispute with Twangiza Mining. "Rwanda is not involved in this situation, and the accusations against Rwandan citizens are without basis - there is no record or information of any Rwanda citizens involved in such activities," Makolo said. "This is a local issue that should be taken up with the authorities in the area." On Friday, the foreign ministers of Rwanda and Congo signed a U.S.-brokered peace deal, raising hopes for an end to fighting that has killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands more so far this year. U.S. President Donald Trump's administration aims to attract billions of dollars in Western investment to Congo, which is rich in tantalum, gold, cobalt, copper and lithium. Qatar has been hosting talks between Congo and M23.
Washington Post
an hour ago
- Washington Post
Many are still haunted by the massacre at Annapolis's Capital Gazette
Tom Marquardt is a former publisher and editor of the Capital Gazette in Annapolis and author of 'Pressed to Kill: Inside Newspapers' Worst Mass Murder.' A cop can't forget the dying words of a shooting victim. A telephone caller can still hear the shots reverberating as a victim pleads for mercy. A business owner constantly replays the images of a bloodied victim trying to crawl to safety.
Forbes
2 hours ago
- Forbes
2024 WAFCON Group B Preview: Nigeria's Super Falcons Looking To Soar Again
Having returned to the Olympics last year, Nigeria will now set their eyes on reclaiming the WAFCON ... More crown. (Photo by ROMAIN PERROCHEAU/AFP via Getty Images) Nigeria have an incredible record of having won all but three editions of the Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) to date. As ever, they will be seeking to add to their tally this time around and should be on course for a smooth start in Group B. 🇳🇬 Nigeria Current FIFA Ranking: #36 WAFCON History: 14 previous appearances; best result: Champions (1991, 1995, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2016 and 2018) Nigeria have never failed to win the title in two consecutive editions of the WAFCON, but they will have to face that prospect this year. After losing at the semifinal stage last time around, they can only expect to face even more stiff competition now. Like fellow African representatives Zambia, Nigeria lost all three group games at the 2024 Olympics. However, they only fell short by one-goal margins against giants like Spain and Brazil, so they can take a lot of encouragement from those performances. This will be the first serious test for interim head coach Justin Madugu, who took over after Randy Waldrum's resignation last September. The American tactician enjoyed a good few years with the team but had a tense relationship with the football association board almost throughout. Madugu was one of the assitsants in his coaching staff, so it will be interesting to see how many tactical changes he makes. Chiamaka Nnadozie is without a club at the time of writing as her contract with Paris FC expired at the end of the 2024/25 season, though she should surely not be short of offers. The 24-year-old shot-stopper has developed quite a reputation of being a penalty-killer, so the Super Falcons are sure to have an edge in any shootouts. Her saves could well prevent them from ever reaching such a position, too. Regardless of the development of other competitors, Nigeria never expected anything less than the trophy as they head into the WAFCON. They still are the highest-ranked team on the continent by some margin, so they must be considered favorites. 🇹🇳 Tunisia Current FIFA Ranking: #89 WAFCON History: 2 previous appearances; best result: quarterfinalists (2022) Tunisia enjoyed their best continental campaign in their second WAFCON appearance last time with a run to the quarterfinal, but have not preserved positive momentum since then. Kamel Saada, who became the team's head coach in 2024, will lead them into a major tournament for the first time this summer. The Eagles of Carthage suffered a couple of setbacks in qualifiers over the last year. Their loss to Morocco in Olympic qualifying was to be expected, so the defeat to the significantly lower-ranked Kenya in the first round of WAFCON 2026 qualifying was more damning. That loss was by just a solitary goal, and they did register wins over group rivals Algeria and Botswana in other matches in 2024. So, they should have a good chance to put the recent disappointments behind them. Experienced forward Mariem Houij certainly has an eye for goal. She averaged close to a goal per game over a six-year period in Türkiye before moving to Saudi Arabia ahead of the 2024/25 seasons. She improved her rate even further for promotion-chasers Abha, who achieved their goal of reaching the top flight thanks in no small part to her contribution. While Nigeria are the clear favorites in this group, the fight for second place behind them is quite open. Tunisia should aim to capture that spot and not have to rely on other results to progress to the quarterfinals. 🇩🇿 Algeria Current FIFA Ranking: #82 WAFCON History: 5 previous appearances; group stage (2004, 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018) Algeria are the only team to have reached the WAFCON five or more times without ever getting past the group stage. Group B will certainly present them with a good chance to shake off that unwanted record. The Fennecs have won 11 of their last 15 matches, including the qualification playoff final for this tournament. Their only losses came against Nigeria and Tunisia, though they did also draw with the latter opponents on one occasion. While that is an impressive record, it also highlights their relative lack of match action against the level of opposition they will face at the WAFCON. Lina Boussaha will represent Algeria at a major tournament for the first time this summer, having accepted her first call-up in 2023. The Paris-born midfielder has spent most of her career so far in France, but has been with Al Nassr since 2023. She has been a clear standout in Saudi Arabia over the last two years and will surely impress in Morocco. Having strengthened their squad since their last WAFCON appearance in 2018, Algeria should aim to finally break their knockouts duck. In fact, they are the second highest-ranked team in the group, so this must be considered the best chance they have had. 🇧🇼 Botswana Current FIFA Ranking: #153 WAFCON History: 1 previous appearance; quarterfinalists (2022) Botswana might be the lowest-ranked team at this edition of the WAFCON, but if there is anything others should have learned from their debut last time around, it is that writing them off would not be a good idea. Like their group mates Tunisia, Botswana are already out of the next WAFCON having lost in the first round of the qualifiers to DR Congo earlier this year. Thereafter, though, they put up good fights to narrowly lose to South Africa and draw with Zambia. While their opponents did not field full-strength XIs, the Zebras should still be pleased with such performances against stronger sides. Refilwe Tholakele is approaching 30 years of age and is now among the senior members in the Botswana squad. In addition to 15 goals in 19 international caps, she has enjoyed success on the continental stage with club side Mamelodi Sundowns, whom she fired to the CAF Champions League title in 2023. Her movement, ball-carrying and powerful ball-striking will help her make something out of nothing even if she does not receive a lot of support in attack. After reaching the quarterfinals last time around, Botswana might well aim to repeat the trick this summer. They should still go into their games as underdogs, but a result against either of Tunisia or Algeria would not be an unrealistic ambition.
