Two French documentary filmmakers detained in Togo for more than three weeks have been formally accused of making false declarations, despite reportedly possessing the necessary paperwork to carry out their work in the country.
Gaël Mocaër and Sebastian Perez Pezzani were taken into custody on 27 July while producing a documentary in Kara, northern Togo, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
The organisation said the two men had valid work visas and official clearance to film.
The journalists are currently being held on remand at a security facility close to Lomé.
RSF said Pezzani has a serious medical condition and urgently needs treatment.
Their production company, Tony Comiti Productions, maintained that both men had fulfilled all administrative requirements and were operating legally.
It described them as highly experienced filmmakers whose work focuses on documenting ordinary people’s lives without pursuing political objectives.
A Togolese national working as their fixer, Fred Vedomey, has also been detained.
France’s foreign ministry confirmed the arrests and said French officials had visited the two men on three occasions.
Authorities are also communicating with their legal counsel, employer and relatives while monitoring their welfare and access to legal assistance.
RSF Director General Thibaut Bruttin expressed concern over the prolonged detention, describing the legal action as excessive and calling for the immediate freedom of the two French nationals.
The families of Mocaër and Pezzani have also appealed for the matter to be resolved quickly.
In a statement released through RSF, relatives said they were experiencing daily distress because of the uncertainty surrounding the men’s detention.
The reason for the arrests remains unclear. Some reports have suggested a possible connection to Ferdinand Ayité, a Togolese investigative reporter now based in France.
Ayité was detained in Togo in 2021 following complaints from senior government officials over remarks he published online before subsequently leaving the country.
Unconfirmed reports have alleged that President Faure Gnassingbé wants him sent back to Togo and that the detained Frenchmen may be intended as negotiating leverage.
Neither the French government nor Togolese authorities have indicated that such a link exists.
The arrests have renewed scrutiny of Togo’s record on media freedom.
The country currently occupies 97th position among 180 nations in RSF’s global press freedom ranking.
In June 2025, French broadcasters France 24 and RFI were ordered off the air for three months after Togolese regulators accused them of presenting inaccurate and one-sided coverage during anti-government demonstrations.
Both organisations rejected the allegations.
Another French reporter, Thomas Dietrich, was arrested while covering an election campaign in Togo in 2024 and was subsequently expelled, according to the International Press Institute.
Togo became independent from France in 1960 and has remained under the political dominance of the Gnassingbé family.
Faure Gnassingbé took over from his father, Gnassingbé Eyadéma, in 2005 and has since retained power through elections in 2010, 2015 and 2020.
Opposition groups have repeatedly questioned the credibility of those polls, alleging widespread electoral irregularities.
The latest detention has therefore intensified concerns about the treatment of journalists and the wider space for dissent in the West African country.
By: Magdalene Agyeiwaa Sarpong