Togo Detains French Filmmakers over Alleged Immigration Violations

LOMÉ, Togo — Two French documentary filmmakers and their Togolese fixer have been jailed in Togo after more than three weeks in custody in the West African nation, an advocacy group said Thursday, amid strained relations between the government and French media.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF), a Paris-based media freedom group, stated that filmmakers Gaël Mocaër and Sebastian Perez Pezzani and fixer Fred Vedomey were placed in pretrial detention on Monday and charged with making “false declarations” in immigration procedures.

The RSF called for the immediate release of the detained individuals, emphasizing that the filmmakers had applied for work visas and received authorization from Togo’s Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Arts.

However, Culture Minister Isaac Tchiakpé rejected RSF’s assertion that the filmmakers had received authorization from his ministry to carry out the documentary shoot. He stated, “They would not have been detained if they had had the proper authorizations and followed the required procedures,”

According to RSF, police seized the crew’s equipment and detained the three, briefly releasing them on July 30 before rearresting them and transferring them to the capital, Lomé.

RSF characterized the proceedings as “unjustified” and “disproportionate,” and said that Perez Pezzani has serious health problems requiring immediate medical attention.

The detentions come as Togo has moved closer to Russia and to Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, three military-led countries that have expelled or sidelined French forces and strengthened relations with Moscow.

Additionally, Togo has restricted French media. In June 2025, authorities suspended broadcasts by French international outlets Radio France Internationale and France 24 for three months, accusing them of inaccurate and biased reporting during their coverage of protests against leader Faure Gnassingbé.

The Togolese authorities have also denied that the filmmakers had the necessary authorizations to carry out the documentary shoot in northern Togo, where the crew was filming an episode of a documentary series for a French public television network.

RSF has urged the Togolese authorities to release the detained individuals immediately, emphasizing that the filmmakers had followed the proper procedures and had received the necessary authorization to carry out the documentary shoot.

The RSF has also expressed concern about the health of Perez Pezzani, who requires immediate medical attention due to his serious health problems.

The detentions of the French filmmakers and their Togolese fixer have raised concerns about media freedom and the restrictions placed on French media in Togo.

The Togolese authorities have accused the French media outlets of inaccurate and biased reporting, which has led to the suspension of their broadcasts in the country.

The situation has sparked a diplomatic row between Togo and France, with the French government expressing its concern about the detentions of the French filmmakers.

The RSF has urged the Togolese authorities to release the detained individuals immediately, emphasizing that the filmmakers had followed the proper procedures and had received the necessary authorization to carry out the documentary shoot.