French foreign minister confirms detained journalist Christophe Gleizes is well, voices cautious hope on Iran deal and prepares a Middle East peace summit

The Gleizes update

French foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot told France 2 on 11 June that a consular visit had been made to Christophe Gleizes in Algeria and that the journalist 'is well, despite the very painful ordeal he is going through.' The visit, secured by Paris, allowed diplomats to check his physical and mental state.

Il va bien, malgré l'épreuve très douloureuse qu'il traverse.

Gleizes has been behind bars since June 2025, when he was sentenced to seven years on a charge of 'apologising for terrorism' linked to his reporting on the JS Kabylie football club. His mother, Sylvie, who saw him the previous week, said he is well treated but 'feels more and more isolated from the outside world.' Gleizes withdrew a cassation appeal in March in hope of a presidential pardon.

Trump claims Iran deal is ready

Barrot reacted cautiously to Donald Trump's assertion that a deal ending the Iran war is ready and all final details have been validated. 'If an agreement has been found, it is very good news that could end an unsustainable situation,' the minister said, adding it would allow the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and a negotiation on Iran's nuclear programme. Iranian state media, however, said no text had been signed with Washington.

Ce que je dis, c'est que si un accord a été trouvé, c'est une très bonne nouvelle qui pourra mettre fin à une situation qui est insoutenable.

New push for two-state solution

The minister confirmed that France is hosting a summit on 12 June to relaunch the two-state solution between Israel and Palestine, nearly a year after Paris formally recognised the State of Palestine. The effort, he said, builds on a year of diplomacy that opened the way for a peace plan, ended the war in Gaza, and allowed the return of the last hostages' remains. The initiative stalled when the Iran war broke out, and Barrot stressed the need to 'give it new momentum.'

World Cup and a plea from FIFA

Gianni Infantino, the FIFA president, said on 10 June he hoped Gleizes – who holds an accreditation for the tournament – would receive a pardon and be able to attend matches. Barrot praised the 'mobilisation of the sports world' and said he was 'determined' to secure the journalist's release, though he conceded it is 'always very difficult to predict the date' of a liberation.