Russian anti-war candidate blocked from facing Putin in presidential election
Alexei Navalny, an anti-war Russian opposition leader, was blocked from running against Vladimir Putin in the 2019 presidential election. Navalny was prevented from running due to a conviction of fraud, which he claims was politically motivated. He has been a vocal critic of Putin, his government, and the policies of the Kremlin. Putin has been re-elected by wide margins in the past two elections, and many believe that preventing Navalny from running was a decision made to protect his power. Putin’s victory in the election was virtually assured without Navalny on the ballot.