Togo Detains Two French Filmmakers, Local Fixer Over Alleged Immigration Violations

Authorities in Togo have placed two French documentary filmmakers and their Togolese fixer in pretrial detention over alleged immigration violations, after more than three weeks in custody.

The filmmakers, Gaël Mocaër and Sebastian Perez Pezzani, and their local fixer, Fred Vedomey, were formally detained on Monday and charged with making false declarations in immigration procedures, according to Reporters Without Borders, RSF.

The three were initially arrested on July 27 in Kara, northern Togo, where Mocaër and Perez Pezzani were 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.

Culture Minister Isaac Tchiakpé told the Associated Press that the filmmakers would not have been detained if they had secured the appropriate authorisations and complied with required procedures.

Togo’s media regulator, HARC, also said it had received no accreditation request from either the filmmakers or France Télévisions and had not been notified that the crew intended to film in the country’s north.

According to RSF, police seized the crew’s equipment after their initial arrest. The three were briefly released on July 30 before being rearrested and transferred to the capital, Lomé.

The media freedom organisation described the proceedings as unjustified and disproportionate, adding that Perez Pezzani has serious health problems requiring urgent medical attention.

The case comes against a backdrop of strained relations between Togolese authorities and sections of the French media.

In June 2025, Togo suspended broadcasts by French international outlets Radio France Internationale and France 24 for three months, accusing them of inaccurate and biased reporting during protests against the government of Faure Gnassingbé.

Togo has also deepened ties with Russia and with military-led governments in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, countries that have significantly reduced French military influence while expanding security cooperation with Moscow.

Russia and Togo signed a military cooperation agreement in 2025 covering areas including joint exercises and military training.

Northern Togo, where the three were arrested, has meanwhile faced attacks linked to armed groups affiliated with al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, making the region particularly sensitive for authorities.

The filmmakers and their fixer remain in pretrial detention as the legal proceedings continue, while RSF is pressing Togolese authorities for their release.