Gleizes, 37, was convicted in June last year for “glorifying terrorism,” a ruling upheld by an appeals court in December. His legal team had initially sought a retrial at the top court, but his mother, Sylvie Godard, said he has now abandoned that effort and is instead appealing directly for clemency from Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.

“He is placing himself entirely at the mercy of President Tebboune so that he may show clemency,” Godard told reporters, adding that she had written to the Algerian leader requesting a pardon.

The case comes against a backdrop of strained relations between France and Algeria, which deteriorated after Paris in 2024 endorsed Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara, a disputed territory where Algiers backs the pro-independence Polisario Front.

Diplomatic ties have shown tentative signs of improvement in recent months, with both countries agreeing in February to resume security cooperation during a visit by French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez to Algiers.

Gleizes was arrested in May 2024 while traveling to the Kabylia region to report on Jeunesse Sportive de Kabylie, one of Algeria’s most prominent football clubs. Authorities accused him of contact with an individual linked to the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylie (MAK), which Algeria designates as a terrorist organization.

During his appeal hearing, Gleizes said he was unaware the group had been classified as terrorist.President Tebboune has previously granted pardons in sensitive cases involving French nationals, including novelist Boualem Sansal, who was released after serving a year in prison over remarks concerning Western Sahara.

Vatican officials said the trip is intended to engage with the Islamic world and address broader challenges of coexistence amid global tensions.The Algeria leg will be the first stop in a wider travel that includes Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea, covering approximately 18,000 kilometers between April 13 and 23.

During his visit to Algiers, Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to meet President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and address government officials and diplomats. He will also visit the Great Mosque of Algiers and meet members of the Catholic community, while holding private prayers for clergy killed during Algeria’s civil war in the 1990s.

A key moment of the trip will come in Annaba, historically associated with Saint Augustine, whose legacy has influenced the pope’s spiritual outlook. Leo, formerly Robert Francis Prevost and a member of the Augustinian order, has often described himself as a “son” of Augustine.

The visit comes as rights groups, including Human Rights Watch, EuroMed Rights and MENA Rights Group, have urged the Vatican to address concerns over restrictions on religious minorities in Algeria.

Algerian officials and local media have highlighted the symbolic significance of the visit, describing it as a reflection of the country’s stability and its role in fostering dialogue on the global stage.

The trip unfolds against the backdrop of ongoing conflict in the Middle East, with the Vatican emphasizing a message centered on interfaith understanding and peaceful coexistence.