Investigation into “Havana Syndrome” by The Insider, Der Spiegel and 60 Minutes wins Emmy

This is not the first time The Insider has received recognition for its investigative reporting. In September 2021, a joint investigation by The Insider, Bellingcat, and CNN (with contributions from Der Spiegel) into the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was also awarded an Emmy for Outstanding Investigative News Coverage. That report, released in December 2020, concluded that at least eight officers from the FSB’s Criminalistics Institute (also known as FSB NII-2 or Military Unit 34435) were involved in the attempted assisination of Vladimir Putin’s most prominent domestic critic. The institute is believed to house a covert laboratory that produces secret poisons for special operations.

A documentary based on that investigation — Navalny, directed by Canadian filmmaker Daniel Roher — went on to win the BAFTA for Best Documentary in February 2023. The film also received the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in March that year.