French journalist Christophe Gleizes, who is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence in Algeria for “glorifying terrorism,” is scheduled to receive his first consular visit in the coming days.
The breakthrough was announced on Saturday, May 9, 2026, by French Minister Delegate for the Armed Forces Alice Rufo following a high-level meeting with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. The visit will be conducted by French Ambassador Stéphane Romatet, who recently returned to Algiers after a year-long recall to Paris that had underscored the deep diplomatic rift between the two nations.
Gleizes was originally arrested in May 2024 while reporting in the Kabylie region and saw his sentence upheld on appeal this past December. In a strategic legal maneuver, his family revealed that he withdrew his Supreme Court appeal in March, a step typically required to facilitate a potential presidential pardon. This development coincides with a broader diplomatic thaw, as Minister Rufo’s visit was specifically designed to restore effective dialogue and build a trusting relationship between the Élysée Palace and the Algerian government after two years of significant tension.
Beyond the consular agreement, the two-hour meeting in Algiers focused heavily on security and defense cooperation, which both leaders deemed critical given the current geopolitical climate in Africa. The two nations also agreed to revitalize the joint commission of historians, a ten-member body established in 2022 to address sensitive colonial-era memories. The commission has been dormant since early 2024, and its resumption signals a mutual desire to stabilize the bilateral relationship through both judicial cooperation and historical reconciliation.
AK/Sf/lb/abj/APA