Two French journalists detained in Togo for more than three weeks have been charged with making false declarations, even though they reportedly had the documents needed to work in the country.
You pack your bags, get your work visas stamped, and fly across the world to film a documentary. You follow every rule. But when the local police show up, the paperwork does not seem to matter.
That is the nightmare currently playing out for two French journalists and their local fixer in Togo. Gaël Mocaër and Sebastian Perez Pezzani were arrested on July 27 while filming in the northern city of Kara for France Télévisions.
They had all the correct documents. Their production company insisted they were in “full compliance with the administrative regulations in force.” But the authorities charged them with “false declarations” anyway.
Now, they are sitting in pre-trial detention near the capital, Lomé. The situation is getting dire. Reporters Without Borders warned that Pezzani is “suffering from serious health problems that require immediate medical attention.”
The families of the men are desperate. In a joint statement, they shared the heavy toll the arrest is taking.
“We are devastated by the deprivation of liberty being endured in Togo by our partners, our fathers, our sons and our brothers,” the families wrote.
Thibaut Bruttin, the director general of Reporters Without Borders, called the arrests “unjustified and disproportionate,” demanding their immediate release.
SEE ALSO: Evergrande Founder Hui Ka Yan Sentenced to Life in Prison
But why lock up documentary filmmakers who had the right paperwork? Local reports suggest a darker motive. Many believe the two men are being held as bargaining chips. The government of Togo has been trying to get France to hand over Ferdinand Ayité, a Togolese investigative journalist living in exile in Paris.
Togo has a rough track record with the press. Just a few months ago, the country suspended French broadcasters France 24 and RFI.
The cameras are turned off. The visas are stamped. But until the politicians finish their quiet negotiations, two men are paying the price in a concrete cell.
