Togo Jails French Documentary Crew on Immigration Charges

Two French documentary filmmakers and their Togolese assistant have been placed in pretrial detention in Togo, more than three weeks after their initial arrest, according to the media freedom organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

The three individuals — Gaël Mocaër, Sebastian Perez Pezzani, and fixer Fred Vedomey — were charged on Monday with making false declarations in immigration procedures. RSF has called for their immediate release, describing the proceedings as unjustified and disproportionate.

The crew was arrested on July 27 in Kara, a city in northern Togo, while filming an episode for a documentary series commissioned by a French public television network. Police seized their equipment and briefly released them on July 30 before rearresting them and transferring them to the capital, Lomé.

The arrests come amid heightened tensions between Togo and French media. In June, authorities suspended broadcasts by French outlets Radio France Internationale and France 24 for three months, citing inaccurate and biased reporting during coverage of protests against President Faure Gnassingbé.

Togo has also strengthened ties with Russia and with Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger — three military-led nations that have expelled French forces. Russia and Togo signed a military cooperation agreement last year.

RSF maintains that the filmmakers had applied for work visas and received authorization from Togo's Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Arts. However, Culture Minister Isaac Tchiakpé rejected that claim, stating the crew would not have been detained had they possessed proper authorizations. Togo's media regulator, HARC, said it received no accreditation request from the filmmakers or France Télévisions.

RSF also noted that Perez Pezzani has serious health issues requiring immediate medical attention.