On December 25, the Central Election Commission of Russia (CEC) has announced the decision to disqualify Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny from his presidential bid.
Navalny, who was convicted of fraud in a 2014 verdict that he said was politicized, is not allowed to run for president under Russian electoral law, which bars anyone with a criminal conviction from seeking elected office.
After the authorities’ decision was released, Navalny called on his supporters to strike and boycott the elections without competition.