NGO Repubblika to protest outside Russian embassy in memory of Alexei Navalny

NGO Repubblika will hold a protest outside of the Russian Embassy in San Gwann on Monday at 7 pm in memory of the lawyer, activist, and Kremlin dissident Alexei Navalny, who died in prison last Friday.

Navalny was serving a cumulative three-decade sentence for a raft of offences, including financing extremism, creating an illegal NGO, the rehabilitation of Nazism, and inciting children to dangerous acts, widely perceived outside Russia as politically motivated accusations.

The activist reportedly fell ill and collapsed on Friday on his morning walk, but medical staff were unable to resuscitate him.

Navalny had previously been poisoned using chemical agents while in the UK in 2020, in an incident believed to have been a politically motivated attempt on his life.

Since willingly returning to Russia in January 2021, he was detained at the infamous IK-3 penal colony in the Arctic Circle, nicknamed “Polar Wolf”.

Russian authorities are yet to provide any update on the state or location of the body, despite calls from human rights organisations, the international community, and Navalny’s family.

The late activist’s mother has yet to see the corpse, having reportedly been denied access to or even information on her son’s remains after visiting the mortuary where he was being held. Navalny’s spokesperson claims that one of their lawyers was physically removed from the property.

Tributes have poured in for the prominent anti-corruption activist, as have demands for accountability and accusations of foul play on the part of the Russian government, most notably from Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya. She alleged that “Vladimir Putin killed my husband,” in her most recent video statement.

The Kremlin denied and dismissed allegations of their involvement in Navalny’s initial poisoning and his untimely death.

Meanwhile, in Russia, despite state warnings about protesting, thousands of citizens came out to mourn. Russian human rights group OVD-Info then reported that around 400 people were arrested and detained by authorities.

Around Europe, vigils have taken place, with many activists placing photos and candles outside Russian embassies.

But in Malta, a tribute consisting of a single candle and a printed photograph of Navalny, placed outside the Russian embassy, was almost immediately removed, according to The Malta Independent.

Repubblika has encouraged all who attend this evening to leave candles and tributes outside the embassy.