Togo detains French filmmakers over alleged immigration violations, advocacy group says
LOMÉ, Togo (AP) — Two French documentary filmmakers and their Togolese fixer have been jailed in Togo after more than three weeks in custody in the West…
Two French documentary filmmakers and their Togolese fixer have been detained in Togo for over three weeks, according to the advocacy group Reporters Without Borders (RSF). Gaël Mocaër, Sebastian Perez Pezzani, and Fred Vedomey were arrested on July 27 in Kara, northern Togo, and charged with making "false declarations" in immigration procedures. RSF called for their immediate release, citing strained relations between the Togolese government and French media.
The filmmakers were filming an episode of a documentary series for a French public television network when they were arrested. Northern Togo has faced armed group attacks linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group in recent years. Togo's recent closer ties with Russia and other military-led nations, such as Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, have also contributed to the detentions.
In June 2025, French international outlets Radio France Internationale and France 24 were suspended for three months due to inaccurate and biased reporting in their coverage of protests against Togo's leader, Faure Gnassingbé.
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