Togo detains two French filmmakers over drone flights and false declarations

Official allegations and drone use

The government of Togo stated on 22 August 2026 that judicial authorities hold serious and concordant evidence against two French filmmakers and their local fixer detained since late July. In a joint communique, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Security stated that directors Gaël Mocaër and Sebastian Perez Pezzani, along with fixer Fred Vedomey, face prosecution for false declarations. Togolese authorities reported that the film crew flew an aerial drone across zones under special security surveillance, specifically targeting the Savanes region in the extreme north. The Savanes territory has operated under a state of emergency since 2022 because of incursions by militant groups linked to Al-Qaeda and Islamic State from neighboring Burkina Faso.

Togolese officials reported that the three men cited an authorization issued by the Ministry of Tourism dated 19 June 2026. The government pointed out that this document was granted exclusively in the name of Vedomey Komi and strictly limited to specific geographic sectors that excluded the Savanes region. The joint statement also noted several unspecified irregularities in the preparation and logistical execution of the filming project, while asserting that the three detainees are kept in secure conditions aligned with international norms.

Detention and judicial proceedings

The two French directors were filming an episode of the documentary series Les routes de l'impossible, broadcast on France Télévisions and France 5, when security forces arrested them on 27 July 2026 near the northern city of Kara. After three weeks of initial custody, authorities brought the three men before the Lomé public prosecutor on 17 August 2026 in the presence of their defense counsel. The prosecutor placed all three individuals in pre-trial detention at the Agoè-Logopè camp located outside Lomé.

The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported on 18 August 2026 that an examining magistrate is conducting a formal judicial investigation into the case. French diplomatic officials noted that consular representatives had conducted three visits to the imprisoned nationals by that date.

Production defense and legal response

Tony Comiti Productions, the production agency that commissioned the documentary shoot, contested the basis of the charges. The agency's general director, Patrice Lucchini, stated that the crew was in full compliance with relevant administrative rules and had inadvertently ventured beyond a recommended perimeter near Kara while filming roads in the region. Lucchini also confirmed that initial allegations against the crew had shifted during the investigation.

They were accused of espionage at first, then the accusation was dropped.

The Togolese attorney representing the detainees, Martial Akakpo, stated that his clients do not admit to any wrongdoing and reject every charge brought by prosecutors.

Press freedom reactions and health alarms

Reporters Without Borders disclosed the identities of the detained French journalists on 19 August 2026 and called for their immediate release. The press freedom organization described the continued pre-trial detention of the documentary crew as unjustified and disproportionate.

RSF director general Thibaut Bruttin and family members expressed concern over the medical condition of director Sebastian Perez Pezzani. Bruttin reported that Perez Pezzani suffers from an existing illness that could degenerate into septicemia without specialized treatment. Judicial authorities in Lomé have not set a date for subsequent court hearings or a trial.