France is taking a symbolic stand at the World Cup in support of a fellow countryman behind bars. French sports journalists are leaving an empty seat in the press box at every France game to highlight the case of Christophe Gleizes, a French sports journalist currently imprisoned in Algeria.
Gleizes was sentenced to 7 years in prison in 2025 on charges related to supporting terrorism, a conviction that has galvanized the French sports media community. The vacant press box seat serves as a visible reminder of his absence and a call for international attention to his situation.
A unified message
The decision to maintain the empty chair throughout France’s World Cup campaign represents a coordinated effort among French journalists to keep Gleizes’ case in the spotlight. This approach ensures that every France match—covered by media from around the globe—becomes an opportunity to remind the world of the imprisoned journalist’s predicament.
Vincent Duluc, a fellow journalist, is among those participating in the campaign, helping amplify awareness of Gleizes’ imprisonment across the sports world.
Support from leadership
France boss Didier Deschamps is aware of the initiative, which has become part of the backdrop to the national team’s World Cup presence. Meanwhile, Sylvie Gleizes, Christophe’s mother, represents the personal human dimension of this case—a family separated by an imprisonment that the French sports journalism community refuses to allow the world to forget.
The empty seat strategy transforms each France match into more than just a sporting event; it becomes a platform for advocacy. As long as the World Cup continues, that vacant chair will remain, a powerful visual statement that French journalists stand united in demanding attention to Gleizes’ case and pushing for his release.