The detention of two French journalists and their Togolese collaborator had sparked deep concern across the journalism community and beyond. Gaël Mocaër and Sebastian Perez Pezzani, arrested in Togo in late July while filming an episode of the documentary series “Les routes de l’impossible” for France 5, have been granted provisional release, their lawyer announced Wednesday, August 2. Their Togolese colleague, Fred Vedomey, was also released under the same terms. According to information obtained by Le Monde, the two French nationals were expected to return to France as early as Wednesday evening.
The release comes after several weeks of detention in Lomé, the Togolese capital, where the three men had been charged with “making false declarations.” Their arrest had been widely publicized by press freedom organizations, which denounced what they called an unjustified procedure aimed at hindering the work of journalists. Sebastian Perez Pezzani, whose health had deteriorated, had already been released from prison at the end of August. Placed under judicial supervision, he was allowed to leave prison to receive medical care in Lomé, but his passport had been confiscated.
Provisional Release Confirmed by Togolese Justice
News of the release of Gaël Mocaër and Fred Vedomey was first reported Tuesday evening by several Togolese media outlets, before being confirmed Wednesday morning by their lawyer. “Their continued detention is no longer necessary for the manifestation of the truth,” he told RFI, without specifying the exact conditions of the provisional release or any restrictions that might accompany it. No details emerged regarding potential judicial supervision or the return of the two men’s passports.
This outcome, even if provisional, marks a turning point in a case that had taken on diplomatic dimensions. French authorities, through the Quai d’Orsay, had repeatedly expressed concern about the fate of the two nationals. Consular démarches had been initiated, while calls for their release multiplied, notably led by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), which launched a petition and organized rallies outside the Togolese embassy in Paris.
Drone Filming at the Center of the Accusations
At the heart of the case is the use of a drone during filming. Togolese justice accuses the three men of having filmed, particularly in the north of the country, a region where the security situation is especially tense due to recurring jihadist attacks. The Togolese Ministries of Justice and Security had claimed that the three men “claimed to have an authorization issued by the ministry in charge of Tourism,” but that this authorization, dated June 19, 2026, “had been signed solely in the name of Mr. Vedomey Komi” and was “strictly limited to specific localities” that did not cover the Savanes region, where some of the footage was allegedly shot.
The three professionals have consistently denied these accusations. Their production company assured that they were in compliance during their reporting, explaining that the necessary authorizations had been obtained and that the documentary work was not of a sensitive nature. Their defense also emphasized the disproportionate nature of the detention, arguing that a simple administrative verification would have sufficed to clarify the situation without resorting to incarceration.
A Signal for Press Freedom in West Africa
This case has highlighted the growing difficulties faced by foreign and local journalists in West Africa, where zones of security instability are multiplying. Togo, a small coastal country in West Africa, ranks 97th out of 180 countries in the annual press freedom index compiled by Reporters Without Borders. This ranking reflects an already concerning environment for information professionals, where political and administrative pressures can quickly turn into judicial proceedings.
For RSF, the release of the two French nationals and their Togolese colleague is a relief, but the organization is calling for vigilance. “We remain mobilized until their effective return to France and until the complete dropping of charges,” the NGO stated, having followed the case since day one. The fear of a reversal or new administrative restrictions remains, as long as the judicial status of the three men is not definitively clarified.
The release of Gaël Mocaër and Sebastian Perez Pezzani marks the end of an ordeal lasting more than a month for the two documentary filmmakers, whose work consisted of filming the realities of some of the world’s most dangerous roads. Their return to France, if confirmed, will close a painful chapter, but the judicial proceedings in Togo could continue. The three men remain under indictment for “making false declarations,” a charge they firmly contest.
