Russia's Supreme Court rejected on 30 December the appeal of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny against the decision of the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) not to allow him to participate in the presidential election in March 2018, Reuters reported.

Earlier this week, the CEC banned Navalny from taking part in the 18 March elections, as there is a conditional sentence for the misuse of state funds. According to the opposition, CEC's decision is politically motivated. He could have run for president if he had been given special permission or if his sentence was canceled.