Opposition activist Aleksey Navalny cannot take part in the 2018 presidential race because of his unserved conviction, the Central Elections Commission announced on Monday. Navalny replied with a call to boycott the polls.
During the announcement, members of the commission specified that the elections convention that endorsed Navalny’s candidacy on Sunday was conducted in strict accordance with the law and his papers were in order, but the Russian law forbids people with unserved lengthy prison sentences from participating as candidates.
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In 2014, Navalny was handed a five-year probation period for his role in a $ 500,000 embezzlement scheme involving the international cosmetics company Yves Rocher. In August, one year was added to that. In addition, Navalny is currently serving a five-year suspended term handed down in 2013 for a fraud scheme involving state-run timber company Kirovles.
At the Sunday convention, Navalny threatened that the rejection of his application for the election would trigger a “voters’ strike” and on Monday he announced its start and called upon other would-be participants of the 2018 race to quit as a sign of protest.
