Undated and unlocated photograph of French journalist Christophe Gleizes. SO PRESS - RSF VIA AFP
Three days before his appeal trial, Christophe Gleizes told friends and relatives during a prison visit that he was confident about the outcome of the hearing. On Wednesday, December 3, the Algerian appeals court in Tizi Ouzou proved him wrong by upholding the heavy seven-year prison sentence against the 36-year-old French journalist, who has been in custody since June 29.
The reporter's mother, Sylvie Godard, who was present at the hearing, said she was "in shock." She told Agence France-Presse (AFP), "In all the scenarios I had considered, I never imagined the verdict would be upheld. All the signs pointed to a thaw in relations" between the two countries. Meanwhile, the French Foreign Ministry, through its spokesperson, stated that it "deeply regrets the upholding of the sentence on appeal" and "deplores that [the defendant's] full cooperation with the Algerian authorities and the explanations provided by the defense were not enough to change the verdict," calling for his release.
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Christophe Gleizes: The life on hold of a French journalist imprisoned in Algeria
