Moscow – Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, a lawyer said Tuesday he will run for president in the 2018 election.
Navalny has striven to root out entrenched corruption in the government but has repeatedly been beset by legal troubles.
Navalny, who made his announcement, came in second in Moscow’s mayoral election three years ago with a surprising 27 per cent of the vote, versus slightly more than 50 per cent for the incumbent.
Navalny then became ineligible to run for political office when he was convicted on corruption charges.
He regained his right to run for office last month when he won an appeal in the Supreme Court and a critical judgment was overturned.
“ I am going into this election with a programme dedicated to making Russia just and modern, to curb corruption and turn Russia’s wealth into prosperity for every family,’’ Navalny said.