Two French journalists working for a French production company have been arrested and detained in Togo since July 27, French authorities confirmed on Tuesday evening.
The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the arrests following initial reports published by Togolese media outlets. The ministry stated that the two individuals are director-journalists whose television project was scheduled to be broadcast on French public network France Televisions.
The two French nationals are currently subject to a formal judicial investigation led by an investigating magistrate in Togo. Under French and Togolese legal procedures, an investigating judge leads preliminary inquiries to evaluate evidence before trial. French foreign ministry officials added that representatives have conducted three consular visits with the detainees so far.
Officials at the Quai d'Orsay, the headquarters of the French foreign ministry in Paris, stated that diplomatic teams in both the French capital and Togolese capital of Lome remain fully mobilized. The ministry said its staff are working to monitor the detainees' health status, living conditions, and right to legal representation.
Media suspensions and emergency measures
The detentions come against a backdrop of heightened security measures and strict oversight of news organisations in Togo. The West African nation has maintained a state of emergency across its northern region since 2022 to counter cross-border incursions by armed militants operating from neighbouring Burkina Faso, where groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and Islamic State are active. Togolese authorities extended the emergency status most recently in February for a further twelve months.
Togolese authorities have also imposed broadcasting bans on international news outlets over the past year. Broadcasters Radio France Internationale and France 24 were ordered off the air in June 2025 for three months after officials accused them of broadcasting inaccurate and tendentious reports during anti-government protests that month. An AFP reporter confirmed that both French media outlets remain blocked from broadcasting in the country.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot addressed the media ban during an official visit to Togo in April, telling AFP that he had advocated for the lifting of the suspension with Togolese leaders. His trip marked the first official visit to Togo by a high-level French minister in ten years.
Political context and press freedom ranking
Togo, a small coastal nation on the Gulf of Guinea, has been ruled since 2005 by President Faure Gnassingbe. He inherited the presidency following the death of his father, Gnassingbe Eyadema, who held power for 38 years following a military coup.
Journalism organisations have expressed ongoing concern over operating conditions for reporters in the region. Togo ranks 97th out of 180 countries in the global press freedom index compiled annually by the international advocacy organisation Reporters Without Borders.
The arrest of the two filmmakers follows a separate legal case involving a French citizen in the country, where another French national was previously released from custody after being detained for eight months.
