Two French journalists, Gaël Mocaër and Sebastian Perez Pezzani, have been charged with "false declarations" in Togo, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF). The media rights group asserts that the journalists possessed the correct documentation for their work in the West African nation.
Mocaër and Perez Pezzani were arrested on July 27 while filming a documentary in Kara, northern Togo, for France Télévisions. RSF reported that they held valid work visas and filming authorizations at the time of their detention. Tony Comiti Productions, the company producing the documentary, confirmed that the men had all necessary documents and were in full compliance with administrative regulations.
A third individual, their Togolese fixer Fred Vedomey, has also been detained. The journalists are being held in pre-trial detention at a facility near the capital, Lomé. RSF has expressed alarm over the prolonged detention, which has lasted over 20 days, and condemned the proceedings as "unjustified and disproportionate," calling for the journalists' immediate release.
Sebastian Perez Pezzani is reportedly suffering from serious health problems requiring urgent medical attention. The families of the detained journalists shared a statement expressing their anguish and hope for a swift resolution.
While Togolese authorities have not officially commented, RSF noted that Togo has faced criticism for its clampdown on free speech and has detained foreign journalists in recent years. Some local reports have suggested that the journalists' detention might be connected to an exchange for a Togolese investigative journalist living in exile in France. However, neither French nor Togolese authorities have confirmed this possibility.
The case raises concerns about press freedom in Togo, which is ranked 97th out of 180 countries on RSF's press freedom index. In June 2025, French broadcasters France 24 and RFI faced a three-month suspension in Togo for allegedly spreading inaccurate information. Previously, in 2021, French journalist Thomas Dietrich was arrested while covering electoral campaigning and subsequently expelled from the country.