In late July, two French documentary filmmakers and their Togolese colleague were arrested in Togo. They are accused of making "false declarations" on their visa applications. Human rights organisations have criticised the move as disproportionate and are calling for the three to be released.

Gaël Mocaër and Sebastian Perez Pezzani were arrested on 27 July near the town of Kara in northern Togo, where they were filming an episode of the documentary series "Les Routes de l'impossible" for French public television. Their Togolese fixer, Fred Vedomey, was detained alongside them. On 17 August, the three were charged with making "false declarations". The production company and those affected reject the accusations, saying they held valid work visas and a filming permit. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) described the proceedings as unjustified.

In late August, one of the two Frenchmen, Perez Pezzani, was released under judicial supervision on health grounds and treated in hospital; his passport was confiscated. Mocaër and Vedomey remained in custody, their requests for release having been rejected. The Togolese authorities pointed to "several irregularities" in the preparation and conduct of the shoot and said there were serious grounds for suspicion – among other things over the use of a drone in the northern region, which is threatened by jihadist attacks. The case adds to a series of tensions between Togo and the French media: back in 2025, the broadcasters France 24 and RFI were suspended for three months. On RSF's press freedom index, Togo ranks 97th out of 180 countries.