Togo Detains French Journalists, Threatening Climate Reporting

In late July 2026, two French documentary filmmakers, Gaël Mocaër and Sebastian Perez Pezzani, were arrested in Kara for allegedly providing false declarations, despite holding all the necessary work visas and permits. The men were filming a documentary for France Télévisions when Togolese authorities seized them on 27 July.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemned the charges, saying the men were “full‑compliance with the administrative regulations in force” and that the detention was “unjustified and disproportionate.” The French foreign ministry confirmed the detention but withheld details, and Togolese officials have yet to comment.

The case has spotlighted the increasingly precarious state of press freedom in Togo, which ranks 97th of 180 nations on RSF’s 2025 press freedom index. Several other journalists have faced detention or expulsion in recent years, including a 2015 expulsion of a French cameraman and the 2025 suspension of France 24 and RFI for “inaccurate and biased” coverage.

Critics suggest that the journalists’ detention may serve as bargaining chips in a potential political exchange involving Togolese investigative journalist Ferdinand Ayité, currently in exile in France. While no official confirmation exists, similar tactics have been reported in other countries where journalists are used as leverage against government critics.

RSF’s director‑general, Thibaut Bruttin, said the organisation is alarmed by the prolonged confinement and is calling for the immediate release of the French journalists. The family of the men has expressed distress, noting the daily uncertainty and anguish that weigh on them.

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