Antonina Favorskaya, Journalist Behind Navalny’s Final Video, Arrested After Visiting His Grave

Russian authorities have detained journalist Antonina Favorskaya over alleged connections with Alexei Navalny’s designated “extremist organisation,” as reported by the non-governmental organisation Reporters Without Borders, citing The Guardian as the source.

Favorskaya, known for filming the final video of Alexei Navalny laughing via video link in a courtroom on the eve of his death, has been in Russian custody since mid-March.

According to Reporters Without Borders, Favorskaya had been covering Navalny’s legal proceedings for years.

The Russian human rights organisation OVD-Info stated that Favorskaya was arrested on March 17th after laying flowers on Navalny’s grave.

Initially held for ten days for disobedience, her detention was extended on accusations of involvement with an “extremist organisation.”

Russian authorities claim she posted on Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation’s social media platforms, an allegation denied by Navalny’s spokesperson Kira Yarmysh, who argued that Favorskaya was solely detained for her journalistic activities.

In recent weeks, five other journalists have reportedly been detained, according to NGOs. Aleksandra Astachova and Anastasia Mosatova were briefly detained after visiting Favorskaya in prison.

Ekaterina Anikievich from the Russian news website Sotavision and Konstantin Yarov from RusNews were arrested while reporting on the search at Favorskaya’s residence.

“They kicked me, pressed their foot against my head, twisted my fingers, laughed at me when I tried to stand up straight, and searched my backpack as if there were explosives in it,” testified Yarov.

In Ufa, a city 1,300 kilometres east of Moscow, another RusNews reporter, Olga Komleva, was arrested. Reporters Without Borders claims Komleva is also accused of ties to Navalny and his organisation, risking imprisonment as Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation has been branded an extremist group by Russian authorities.