Russian election officials on Monday formally barred Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny from running for president, prompting calls from him for a boycott of next year's vote. The Central Election Commission decided unanimously that the anti-corruption crusader isn't eligible to run. Navalny is implicitly barred from running for office because of a conviction in a fraud case, a decision that has been viewed as political retribution. Incumbent Vladimir Putin is running for a fourth term in office and is widely expected to win the March 18 election. In a pre-recorded message that was released minutes after the election commission handed down the decision, Navalny called on his supporters to boycott the vote.

Source: Los Angeles Times December 25, 2017 14:48 UTC