Activists covered the entrance of the Russian Embassy in Kappara with pictures of Alexei Navalny on Monday in silent tribute to Russia's opposition leader who died in mysterious circumstances on Friday.  

The Russian authorities have been widely blamed for the 47-year-old's death in a penal colony north of the Arctic Circle.

"While (Russian President) Vladmir Putin has tried to extinguish Alexei Navalny's flame, Navalny's spirit will live on," Robert Aquilina, president of NGO Repubblika said at the event.

Several Maltese, as well as Russians turned up for the vigil holding pictures of Navalny. Candles, flowers and pictures of the outspoken Russian Opposition leader were placed outside the embassy's locked gate. 

Those present included members of Daphne Caruana Galizia's family, PN MPs David Agius and Beppe Fenech Adami, independent candidate Arnold Cassola and broadcaster Peppi Azzopardi.

'You cannot kill us all'

Among those in the crowd, Evgeniia held a poster with a picture of Putin which read "You cannot kill us all".

"We wanted to cry when we heard the news of his death," she told Times of Malta.

She and her husband Sergei left Russia a week after the invasion of Ukraine started in 2022, and shortly after settled in Malta.

"Even though he was in prison, he gave us hope. He told us to be strong, to not give up hope and to not be afraid. Now we have no leader."

Russian family Evgeniia, Sergei and their baby turned up at the vigil for Alexei Navalny,

She said she was grateful to Repubblika for having organised the vigil, as they did not feel alone during this time and met other Russians and Maltese who supported Navalny.

Addressing the crowd, Aquilina said Navalny did not die, but was murdered in a "political killing" by Vladmir Putin’s regime.

“Four years ago he survived after they tried to poison him. He managed to dodge death after receiving medical treatment in Germany,” Aquilina recalled.

"He could have stayed safe in Germany, but he decided to go back to Russia. He decided to go back to his country, to be with his people. He was not scared to go to the country ruled by Putin.”

Navalny was immediately detained on accusations of violating parole conditions while he was hospitalised in Germany. In March 2022 he was sentenced to nine years in prison. In August 2023, he was sentenced to an additional 19 years in prison on extremism charges.

'V' signs at the vigil outside the Russian embassy.

Aquilina observed that while Putin had wanted to silence Navalny even in prison, now that he was dead, his mother had not even been given access to his body. 

He said that the Maltese understood what Navalny's family was experiencing, as Malta's journalist, Daphne Caruana Galizia, was also murdered for telling the truth and fighting for it.

"The flame will never be extinguished as Navalny's spirit will live on," he said.

At the end of the vigil, people stuck the pictures of Navalny on the door of the embassy.

A picture of Alexei Navalny is affixed to the entrance of the Russian Embassy in Kappara.