Togo says it has ‘serious’ evidence against detained French filmmakers

Togo’s government says it has “serious and corroborative evidence” against two French documentary filmmakers and their Togolese fixer, who have been detained in the West African country since late July.

The government’s statement was its first public comment on the case involving Gaël Mocaër, Sébastian Perez Pezzani and their Togolese colleague, Fred Vedomey. The three men were arrested on July 27 and are being held on charges of making “false declarations”. Their lawyer, Martial Akakpo, said they deny the charges.

Togo’s justice and security ministries said in a joint statement that the documentary team had used a drone in areas considered sensitive by authorities because of the threat of jihadist attacks. According to the statement, the authorisation to film had been signed only by Vedomey and not by the two French filmmakers. Authorities said the permission was “strictly limited” to specific, stated areas.

The government also alleged “several irregularities” in the way the assignment was carried out, without providing further details. The three men appeared before prosecutors on August 17 alongside their lawyer, according to the authorities.

Mocaër and Pezzani had been working with Vedomey on a documentary for France Télévisions. The filmmakers’ lawyer said his clients denied the allegations against them. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has called for their immediate release and raised concerns about Pezzani’s health.

RSF said Pezzani suffers from serious health problems requiring urgent treatment. Patrice Lucchini, head of their production company Tony Comiti Productions, said a Togolese doctor had warned that Pezzani was at risk of developing sepsis. Lucchini has maintained that the filmmakers complied with the rules governing work in Togo, saying they obtained filming permits and declared their equipment to customs.

The families of Mocaër and Perez-Pezzani said they were “devastated” by the men’s continued detention. The case has drawn attention from press freedom advocates, with RSF continuing to press for the release of the two French journalists.