Authorities in Togo have placed two French documentary filmmakers and their Togolese fixer in pretrial detention over alleged immigration violations, more than three weeks after their initial arrest.*
The filmmakers, Gaël Mocaër and Sebastian Perez Pezzani, and their local fixer, Fred Vedomey, were formally charged on Monday with making false declarations in immigration procedures, according to Reporters Without Borders, RSF.
The three were first arrested on July 27 in Kara, northern Togo, while filming an episode of a documentary series for a French public television network.
RSF said the crew had applied for work visas and obtained authorisation from Togo’s Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Arts, and has called for their immediate release.
However, Culture Minister Isaac Tchiakpé told the Associated Press that the detention would not have occurred if the appropriate authorisations and procedures had been followed. Togo’s media regulator, HARC, also said it received no accreditation request from the filmmakers or France Télévisions and was not notified of filming plans in the north.
Police seized the crew’s equipment after the initial arrest. The three were briefly released on July 30 before being rearrested and transferred to Lomé.
RSF described the proceedings as unjustified and disproportionate, and said Perez Pezzani has serious health problems requiring urgent medical attention.
The case comes amid tense relations between Togolese authorities and sections of the French media. In June 2025, Togo suspended broadcasts by Radio France Internationale and France 24 for three months, citing inaccurate reporting during protests against President Faure Gnassingbé.
Togo has also strengthened ties with Russia and with military-led governments in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. A military cooperation agreement was signed with Russia in 2025 covering joint exercises and training.
Northern Togo remains a sensitive area due to attacks linked to armed groups affiliated with al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.
The filmmakers and their fixer remain in detention as legal proceedings continue.
