The two French journalists detained in Togo since last month have been charged with "false declarations" despite having the correct documents to work there, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has said. Gaël Mocaër and Sebastian Perez Pezzani had been filming a documentary in Kara, northern Togo, for France Télévisions when they were arrested on 27 July, the media rights group said, despite having work visas and authorisation to film there. France's foreign ministry confirmed the detention of two nationals but did not provide further details.
Togolese authorities have yet to comment. Togo has faced criticism for clamping down on free speech, with several foreign journalists detained in recent years. However, there are suggestions Mocaër and Pezzani are being held as bargaining chips for an exchange with France - a practice of which other countries have been accused.
The pair are being held in pre-trial detention at a "law-enforcement facility" near the capital, Lomé, RSF said. It said Pezzani was "suffering from serious health problems that require immediate medical attention". The men had all the required documents to work in the West African nation and were in "full compliance with the administrative regulations in force", Tony Comiti Productions, the company producing the show, said.
A third man - the journalists' Togolese fixer Fred Vedomey - has also been detained. RSF director general Thibaut Bruttin said the organisation was "alarmed by a situation that has now lasted for more than 20 days". "The organisation condemns these unjustified and disproportionate proceedings and calls for the immediate release of the French media professionals." The families of the Frenchmen said they were hoping for a "swift resolution" in a joint statement shared by RSF, adding that the "uncertainty and anguish weigh daily" on them.
"We are devastated by the deprivation of liberty being endured in Togo by our partners, our fathers, our sons and our brothers," they said. "Gaël and Sebastian are passionate documentary filmmakers, deeply committed to telling the stories of the people they meet and bearing witness to the realities of their lives." Tony Comiti Productions said Mocaër and Pezzani were "seasoned, experienced professionals" who had worked across the world to "document people's daily lives... with no political purpose". While it is unclear why the journalists were arrested, some local reports have linked their detention to a Togolese investigative journalist who is living in exile in France.
Ferdinand Ayité was arrested in Togo in 2021 after complaints from government ministers over comments made online. He later left the country. Some reports claim Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé wants him returned and that the French nationals could be used as leverage.
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