Togo Charges Two French Journalists With False Declarations Despite Valid Papers, RSF Says
Two French journalists detained in Togo since July have been formally charged with making false declarations, according to Reporters Without Borders, which said the men had valid papers to work and film in the country.
Gaël Mocaër and Sebastian Perez Pezzani were arrested on July 27 in Kara, in northern Togo, while shooting a documentary for France Télévisions. The media freedom group said they had work visas and authorization to film, and Tony Comiti Productions, the production company behind the film, said the men were “in full compliance with the administrative regulations in force.”
France’s foreign ministry confirmed the detentions and said French officials had visited both men three times. Togolese authorities have not commented publicly on the case.
RSF called the proceedings “unjustified and disproportionate” and demanded their immediate release. Thibaut Bruttin, RSF’s director general, said the organization was “alarmed by a situation that has now lasted for more than 20 days.”
The journalists are being held in pre-trial detention at a law-enforcement facility near Lomé, the capital. RSF said Pezzani was “suffering from serious health problems that require immediate medical attention.” A third man, Fred Vedomey, a Togolese fixer working with the crew, has also been detained.
In a statement shared by RSF, the Frenchmen’s families said they were hoping for a “swift resolution” and described the toll of the ordeal. “We are devastated by the deprivation of liberty being endured in Togo by our partners, our fathers, our sons and our brothers,” they said. “Gaël and Sebastian are passionate documentary filmmakers, deeply committed to telling the stories of the people they meet and bearing witness to the realities of their lives.”
Tony Comiti Productions described Mocaër and Pezzani as “seasoned, experienced professionals” who had worked across the world to document everyday life “with no political purpose.”
The case has sharpened concerns about press freedom in Togo, which ranks 97th out of 180 countries on RSF’s index. In June 2025, French broadcasters France 24 and RFI were suspended for three months over allegations that they spread “inaccurate and biased” information after anti-government protests; the outlets rejected the accusation. A year earlier, French journalist Thomas Dietrich was arrested while covering electoral campaigning in Togo and later expelled, according to the International Press Institute.
Why Mocaër and Pezzani were arrested remains unclear. Some local reports have linked their detention to Ferdinand Ayité, a Togolese investigative journalist living in exile in France. Ayité was arrested in Togo in 2021 after complaints from government ministers about his online comments and later left the country. Speculation has circulated that Togolese authorities might want Ayité returned and could use the French nationals as leverage, but neither French nor Togolese officials have suggested that.
The arrests are likely to deepen scrutiny of Togo’s record on dissent and independent reporting. The country gained independence from France in 1960 but has long been criticized for corruption and electoral fraud. Faure Gnassingbé, who serves as president of the council of ministers and has held power since succeeding his father in 2005, was re-elected in 2010, 2015 and 2020 in votes that opposition parties said were marked by widespread irregularities.