French journalists' unions on Tuesday called on Algeria to release a French football writer who has been jailed for seven years for supporting terrorism. Christophe Gleizes, who is 36, was sentenced on Sunday, after being found guilty of holding exchanges with a proponent of self-determination for Algeria's Kabyle minority.

A French journalist is facing seven years in prison in Algeria over an interview with a soccer official accused of ties to a banned separatist movement, in a case rights groups say criminalizes routine reporting.

Sansal was first sentenced on March 27 on charges related to undermining Algeria's territorial integrity over comments made to a French media outlet.