Togo's government said Saturday it had "serious and corroborative evidence" against two French documentary filmmakers and their Togolese colleague arrested last month on charges of making "false declarations". The three men—Gaël Mocaër, Sébastian Perez Pezzani, and Fred Vedomey—have been in custody since their arrest on July 27.
Togo's justice and security ministries said in a joint statement that the documentary team had used a drone in areas the government considers sensitive due to the threat of jihadist attacks. The statement said the filming authorisation had been signed only by the fixer, Vedomey, and not by the Frenchmen, and was "strictly limited" to specific areas. The ministries also claimed "several irregularities" in how the assignment was carried out, without elaborating.
The three men appeared before prosecutors on August 17 with their lawyer, Martial Akakpo, who said his clients denied the charges. Mocaër and Pezzani were making a documentary for France Televisions. Their production company, Tony Comiti Productions, said the filmmakers had obtained filming permits and declared their equipment to customs.
The media watchdog Reporters Without Borders called again for their immediate release. The organisation said Pezzani suffers from serious health problems requiring urgent treatment, citing a warning from a Togolese doctor that he was at risk of developing sepsis. The families of the two Frenchmen said they were "devastated" by their incarceration.
