Two French journalists detained in Togo since late July have been charged with “false declarations,” according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), which has described the proceedings against them as unjustified and disproportionate.
The journalists, Gaël Mocaër and Sebastian Perez Pezzani, were working on a documentary in Kara, northern Togo, when they were arrested on July 27. The pair were reportedly filming for France Télévisions and had obtained work visas and authorization to carry out filming activities in the country.
Their detention has raised concerns among press freedom organizations, particularly because the journalists’ production company maintains that they had secured the necessary documentation before beginning their work.
According to RSF, Mocaër and Pezzani are currently being held in pre-trial detention at a law-enforcement facility near Togo’s capital, Lomé. The organization has called for their immediate release and expressed concern about the circumstances surrounding their continued detention.
RSF also raised concerns about Pezzani’s health, saying he is suffering from serious health problems that require immediate medical attention. The organization has urged Togolese authorities to ensure that he receives the necessary medical care while in custody.
The French government has confirmed that the two men are being detained. French officials have reportedly visited them several times and are monitoring their treatment, access to legal representation and general welfare. Authorities are also maintaining contact with the journalists’ lawyer, employer and families.
Tony Comiti Productions, the company producing the documentary, has strongly defended the journalists. It described Mocaër and Pezzani as experienced professionals who have worked in different parts of the world documenting people’s lives.
The company said the journalists were working on the documentary without any political objective and maintained that they had complied with the administrative requirements for their work in Togo.
A Togolese national who was working with the journalists as a local fixer, Fred Vedomey, has also been detained.
The circumstances surrounding the arrests remain unclear. Some local reports have attempted to connect the case to Togolese investigative journalist Ferdinand Ayité, who has been living in exile in France. Ayité was arrested in Togo in 2021 following complaints from government ministers over comments made online before later leaving the country.
There have been suggestions that the French journalists could potentially be used as leverage in relation to Ayité, but neither the French nor Togolese authorities have confirmed such claims. They therefore remain unverified.
The case comes against a wider backdrop of concerns about press freedom in Togo. The country has faced criticism over restrictions on journalists and media organizations. In 2025, French broadcasters France 24 and RFI were suspended in Togo for three months after authorities accused them of disseminating inaccurate and biased information. Both broadcasters rejected the allegations.
The detention of Mocaër and Pezzani has consequently drawn renewed attention to the working environment for foreign journalists in the West African country.
RSF Director General Thibaut Bruttin said the organization was alarmed by the length of the detention and condemned what it characterized as disproportionate proceedings.
The families of the two journalists have also expressed their distress, saying they are hoping for a swift resolution to the case. They described the men as passionate documentary filmmakers committed to telling the stories of people they encounter.
As the legal process continues, pressure is expected to grow on Togolese authorities to clarify why the journalists were detained despite claims that they possessed the required documents. Their case has become another major test of press freedom and the treatment of journalists working in Togo.
Source: Thepressradio.com
