Ballon d'Or ceremony raises case of French sports journalist jailed in Algeria
He is in jail accused of supporting terrorism after travelling to the politically sensitive region Kabylie.
Christophe Gleizes, 37, is a French journalist who specialises in African football for the Paris-based So Foot magazine
The plight of French sports journalist Christophe Gleizes, who is serving a seven-year prison sentence in Algeria, was highlighted at the Ballon d'Or ceremony.
Run by France Football magazine, the prestigious football awards were held in London where presenters Kate Scott and Thierry Henry dedicated the occasion to the 37-year-old reporter.
During his appeal hearing last December, Gleizes acknowledged mistakes in his reporting and said he should have applied for a journalist visa rather than entering Algeria on a tourist visa.