CNN: Kremlin Critic Alexey Navalny Barred from Entering Presidential Race

RUSH EXCERPT:

KEILAR: "Russia’s central election commission just banned an activist who is seen as a leading opponent to Vladimir Putin. CNN senior international correspondent Fred Pleitgen is joining us now from Moscow. Fred, how big of a threat to Putin is this man?"
PLEITGEN: "Well, Alexei Navalny believes if he ran against Putin in what he believed is a free and fair election that he could beat Putin and he thinks that Putin is afraid of him, afraid of Alexei Navalny. We have to keep in mind all of this that Putin’s approval ratings are around 80 to 85% in Russia. But the opposition is saying that that’s only because he’s not letting the really big opposition figures run against him. They also believe that the charges that were brought against Navalny were politically motivated, whereas the Kremlin is saying, look, none of this is in their hands. They have nothing to do with banning Navalny from running. This was a decision made by the election committee because he was charged with embezzlement a couple of years ago. And someone charged with that can’t run. The opposition very, very angry. And Navalny himself is calling for his reporters to boycott the upcoming Russian presidential election, Brianna."