Togo detains two French documentary directors on false declaration charges
French documentary directors Sebastian Perez-Pezzani and Gaël Mocaër face pre-trial detention in Togo alongside their local fixer after filming in the north of the country.
Arrest and detention in northern Togo
Two French documentary directors, Sebastian Perez-Pezzani and Gaël Mocaër, alongside their Togolese fixer Fred Vedomey, remain in detention in Togo following their arrest on 27 July 2026. The crew was filming an episode of the documentary series "Les routes de l'impossible" for France 5 and Tony Comiti Productions. According to production officials, the arrest occurred near the northern city of Kara after the team travelled past an advised zone. Northern Togo has experienced cross-border incursions by armed jihadist groups from Burkina Faso since late 2021, prompting repeated extensions of a regional state of emergency, most recently renewed in February for one year.
Legal charges and detention conditions
Production head Patrice Lucchini stated that the crew held proper documentation, including a filming permit from Togo's Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Arts valid from 10 to 30 July, with all camera equipment declared at customs. Following an initial police custody period of approximately 10 hours, the team was held under surveillance at a hotel for roughly 10 days. Authorities initially levied espionage accusations before dropping them and returning the confiscated cameras, phones, and footage.
Tony Comiti, founder of Tony Comiti Productions, affirmed that all visas and permits were in order prior to the shoot. After being re-interrogated, the three men were transferred to Lomé and presented before an investigating judge. On 17 August 2026, prosecutors in Lomé formally indicted the crew for making false declarations and placed them in pre-trial detention at the Agoè-Logopé law enforcement camp near Lomé.
- French filmmakers and their fixer are detained near Kara in northern Togo
- Authorities in Lomé indict the crew for false declarations and order pre-trial detention
- French foreign ministry confirms diplomatic contacts as RSF warns of medical risks
Health concerns and medical urgency
Press freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the families of the detained filmmakers issued urgent appeals on 19 August, citing deteriorating health conditions. Sebastian Perez-Pezzani suffers from an acute medical condition that presents a severe risk of septicemia, according to a local medical evaluation. Patrice Lucchini emphasized that local medical facilities cannot perform the necessary surgery and called for an urgent medical transfer.
We are in a fairly blatant case of persecution against two information workers who have no business in prison.
RSF director general Thibaut Bruttin stated that the organization is seeking guarantees for immediate medical treatment, including potential repatriation to France for specialized surgery. Both filmmakers are parents, with one caring for a 13-year-old child.
Diplomatic response and bilateral backdrop
The French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs received the directors' families on 19 August to discuss state intervention. French consular staff in Lomé have conducted three visits to the detained men to assess their condition and maintain contact with their lawyer. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot addressed the situation publicly during a visit to the Chaise-Dieu festival.
We are in contact with the authorities of Togo so that they can be released as soon as possible.
Togo is currently ranked 97th out of 180 countries on the RSF World Press Freedom Index and has been governed since 2005 by President Faure Gnassingbé. The detention follows earlier bilateral strain, including French diplomatic appeals in April to lift local broadcasting suspensions on French public broadcasters RFI and France 24.
