RSF urges Togo to free filmmakers and fixer
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has called on Togolese authorities to release two French documentary filmmakers and their Togolese fixer, who have been held in pre-trial detention for weeks on charges stemming from an immigration procedure.
The three men — Gaël Mocaër, Sebastian Perez Pezzani, and Fred Vedomey — were arrested on July 27 in Kara, northern Togo, according to Africa News. They were formally charged with making false declarations and placed in pre-trial detention on August 17.
The arrest has drawn sharp criticism from RSF, which argues the men were simply doing their jobs. Sadibou Marong, director of RSF’s Sub-Saharan Africa office, said the pair were “simply doing their job and reporting, in a way, on the daily lives of the Togolese people as part of a documentary series with an international scope.”
“There is absolutely nothing political, nothing illegal in what they did,” Marong said, according to Africa News.
The three are being held at the Agoè Logopé camp in Lomé, a detention facility, according to the outlet.
Filming permits and disputed claims
In a statement, RSF has said the filmmakers had obtained the necessary authorisation to film from Togo’s Ministry of Culture, as well as valid work visas.
However, sources close to the Togolese government have disputed the suggestion that all permissions were in order. The government has said the filming authorisation was issued to the fixer, Fred Vedomey, and was strictly limited to specified areas. The filmmakers also used a drone whose specifications were not declared in advance, the government said.
The filmmakers’ lawyer has not commented publicly on the case, though the production company has insisted the pair conducted themselves lawfully.
Health concerns for one detainee
One of the filmmakers, Sebastian Perez Pezzani, is said to be suffering from a serious health condition that requires immediate medical attention, according to his family.
His legal team has said they have raised concerns about his health with the authorities, citing a risk to his well-being if he is not provided with proper medical care.
A strained relationship with France
Togo ranks 97th out of 180 countries on RSF’s press freedom index, placing it behind many of its West African neighbours.
The arrest of the journalists comes amid a sharp deterioration in relations between Togo and France. In April, Togolese authorities suspended French state-owned broadcasters RFI and France 24 over what they described as “false allegations” — a move that was widely criticised by press freedom groups.
The suspension was announced amid public protests in Togo over constitutional changes that critics say would allow President Faure Gnassingbé to remain in power for years to come. Gnassingbé, who has been in power since 2005, has faced a wave of demonstrations in recent months demanding his resignation.
A pattern of pressure on journalists
A French journalist, Thomas Dietrich, was arrested in Togo in 2021 and later expelled from the country — a case that has become a symbol of the increasing pressure on foreign media in Togo.
In the latest case, RSF has said it does not accept the authorities’ contention that the men were operating without proper permission, and has called for the immediate release of the two filmmakers and their fixer.
“What matters most is freedom of expression, freedom of the press,” said Marong, the RSF Africa director. He added that it is important the Togolese authorities release the journalists.