Key facts
- Two French filmmakers, Gaël Mocaër and Sebastian Perez Pezzani, and their Togolese fixer, Fred Vedomey, have been charged with false declarations in Togo.
- The detentions occurred after they were arrested on July 27 while filming a documentary.
- Reporters Without Borders (RSF) asserts the filmmakers possessed valid work visas and filming permits.
- One of the detained filmmakers, Sebastian Perez Pezzani, is reportedly suffering from serious health problems.
- The charges come amid broader concerns about press freedom in Togo and strained relations with French media.
Two French documentary filmmakers, Gaël Mocaër and Sebastian Perez Pezzani, along with their Togolese fixer Fred Vedomey, have been charged with making "false declarations" in immigration procedures in Togo. They have been held in pre-trial detention for over three weeks since their arrest on July 27. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has reported that the filmmakers possessed the necessary work visas and filming authorizations, contradicting the charges. RSF has condemned the proceedings and called for their immediate release, noting that Sebastian Perez Pezzani is suffering from serious health problems requiring urgent medical attention.
Togo's Minister of Tourism, Culture and Arts, Isaac Tchiakpé, stated that the individuals would not have been detained if they had followed proper procedures. The case unfolds amid broader concerns over press freedom in Togo, which has previously suspended French broadcasters France 24 and RFI and expelled foreign journalists. Togo has also been strengthening ties with Russia and other West African nations that have reduced their reliance on French influence.
Speculation exists that the filmmakers' detention might be used as leverage for an exchange with France, a practice other countries have been accused of, though neither French nor Togolese authorities have commented on this possibility. The families of the detained men expressed their anguish and hope for a swift resolution.