Paris Has Learned Its Lesson Well From Algeria In The Sansal Case

A statement issued by the French Foreign Ministry regarding the sentence handed down to a French citizen who presented himself as a journalist and was sentenced to seven years in prison reveals a remarkable shift in Paris’s position on Algerian judicial decisions, contrary to what happened in the case of the Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, which caused an uproar in French political and media circles after he was sentenced to five years in prison.

Although the sentence was harsher than that handed down to Sansal, the French Foreign Ministry, in its statement issued on Monday, June 30, 2025, could only express its “regret” over the “harsh sentence” handed down by the Dar El Beida court in the capital on Sunday, June 29, 2025, against French citizen Christophe Gleize, who was immediately imprisoned.

The French Foreign Ministry said in a statement reported by the French news agency France Presse that it had been “closely monitoring the journalist’s situation since his arrest in Algeria in May 2024” and had “provided him with consular assistance and protection throughout his trial.”

It also confirmed that “all services remain available to assist him and are in regular contact with him, his family and his advisors.”

The Quai d’Orsay added that “a request for a visit permit was submitted as soon as the conviction was handed down,” based on the principle of consular assistance.

It also affirmed France’s commitment to “freedom of the press throughout the world,” in a statement that was careful to exclude Algeria, so that it would not be interpreted by the Algerian authorities as an escalation motivated by doubts about the decisions of the Algerian justice system, which President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has affirmed on more than one occasion is independent.

The Algerian judiciary accused the convicted French national of “praising terrorism,” according to a statement by the French Foreign Ministry. Christoph Gleiz was arrested more than a year ago in the province of Tizi Ouzou while engaging in suspicious activities. The Algerian government attempted to portray the defendant as a journalist by announcing France’s commitment to “freedom of expression,” even though he did not disclose his professional identity when applying for a visa.

It was noteworthy that the French Foreign Ministry did not call on the Algerian authorities to release the French citizen, in the context of the worsening crisis between the two countries, in order to avoid a new setback, at a time when bilateral relations are marked by an “undeclared truce,” marked by visits by some French businessmen to Algeria, most notably that of Rodolphe Saada, owner of the major French shipping company CMA CGM, who was received by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.

According to sources close to the French organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the case dates back to May last year, when the French citizen was arrested in the province of Tizi Ouzou on charges of engaging in activities related to terrorism.

The organization warned its Algerian members not to make any statements about the Christophe Gleize case, in the hope of resolving it away from media hype and political debate. However, the failure of all these attempts, with the issuance of the conviction, prompted Reporters Without Borders to break its silence.

Other sources familiar with the details of this case indicate that investigations have revealed communication between the imprisoned French citizen and individuals classified as terrorists in Algeria who work for a terrorist organization. What further complicated Christophe Glice’s situation was that he entered the country on a tourist visa and not on a mission visa, which means that the defendant concealed the purpose of his visit to Algeria and attempted to deceive the relevant authorities.

The unusual calm in the official French position on the Algerian judiciary’s sentencing of Christophe Gliez to seven years in prison reveals that Paris has learned its lesson well from the Soussal case, namely that attempting to play the role of guardian or commander no longer works, but rather complicates the situation, especially since the French authorities are eagerly awaiting the final decision in the case of the Franco-Algerian writer on Tuesday, July 1, 2025.