Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Wednesday rejected US criticism over opposition leader Alexei Navalny's blocked presidential bid, saying it amounted to "meddling in the Russian elections."

"This statement by the US Department of State, which I'm sure will not be the only one, is a direct interference into the electoral process and the state's domestic affairs," Zakharova said in comments carried by state-owned TASS news agency.

Read more: Alexei Navalny: Russia's opposition leader

A US State Department spokesman expressed concern over the "restrictions on independent voices" in response to the vote by Russia's top electoral body to formally bar Navalny from participating in the 2018 presidential election.

"The funniest thing about it is that this statement was made by the same people who put the foreign agent label on RT and Sputnik, persecuted Russian media worldwide and invested vast sums in 'countering Russian propaganda,'" Zakharova said.

In the wake of US President Donald Trump's surprise electoral victory last year, the US intelligence community said Russia interfered in the election to back its preferred candidate. Several investigations have been opened with regard to election meddling, including one probing collusion between the Trump administration and Moscow.

Who is Alexei Navalny? Face of Russia's opposition The lawyer-turned-political campaigner has been among the most prominent figures of Russia's opposition to President Vladimir Putin. Navalny came to prominence in 2008, when his blog exposing malpractice in Russian politics and among the country's major state-owned companies came to public attention. Revelations published on his blog even led to resignations, a rarity in Russian politics.

Who is Alexei Navalny? Disputed parliamentary elections In 2011 Navalny was arrested for the first time. He ended up spending 15 days in prison for his role at a rally outside the State Duma in Moscow. A recent parliamentary election victory for Putin's United Russia had been marred by instances of ballot stuffing, reported by demonstrators on social media. Upon his release, Navalny pledged to continue the protest movement.

Who is Alexei Navalny? Second jail term After being reelected president in 2012, Putin ordered Russia's Investigative Committee to launch a criminal inquiry into Navalny's past. The following year the campaigner was charged and sentenced again, this time for five years, for alleged embezzlement in the city of Kirov. However, he was released the following day pending affirmation from a higher court. The sentence was later suspended.

Who is Alexei Navalny? Anti-Kremlin platform grows Despite being embroiled in legal troubles, Navalny was allowed to run in the 2013 Moscow mayoral election. A second-place finish behind Putin ally Sergei Sobyanin was seen as an overwhelming success and galvanized the Russian opposition movement.

Who is Alexei Navalny? Navalny takes to social media His anti-Kremlin rhetoric led Navalny to be banned from appearing on Russian state-owned television. That forced him to deliver his political message over social media and his blog. His talent for public speaking, punchy use of language and humorous mockery of Putin and his loyalists mobilized a legion of young followers.

Who is Alexei Navalny? Presidential ambitions In December 2016, the opposition leader announced the formal start of his campaign to run for the Russian presidency in March 2018. However, repeated accusations of corruption, which his supporters say are politically motivated, ultimately barred him from running for public office.

Who is Alexei Navalny? Convicted of corruption In 2016 the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Russia had violated Navalny's right to a fair trial in the Kirov case. Although Russia's Supreme Court overturned the five-year sentence, the verdict was sent back to the Kirov court. In 2017, this court again handed Navalny a suspended five-year sentence.

Who is Alexei Navalny? Moscow's biggest protests in 6 years In February 2017, anti-corruption rallies across dozens of Russian cities led to the arrests of over 1,000 demonstrators, including Navalny. The protests, believed to have been the largest in the Russian capital since 2012, were spurred by a report published by Navalny linking Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to a property empire valued at billions of euros. Navalny was released 15 days later.

Who is Alexei Navalny? Physically assaulted Navalny was assaulted and hospitalized in April 2017 after being hit in the eye with a chemical green dye. The attack permanently damaged his right cornea. Navalny accused Russian authorities of stopping him from seeking medical treatment abroad due to the embezzlement conviction against him. He was eventually permitted by the Kremlin human rights council to travel to Spain for eye surgery.

Who is Alexei Navalny? Repeated arrests In 2018, Navalny was jailed for 30 days. After his release in September, he faced another 20-day stint. In April 2019, the European Court of Human Rights ruled Russia had violated Navalny's rights by holding him under house arrest for most of 2014 during the Kirov embezzlement case.

Who is Alexei Navalny? Alleged poisoning In July 2019, only weeks after being released from a 10-day jail sentence, Navalny was again jailed for 30 days for violating Russia's strict protest laws. The opposition leader accused Russia of poisoning him with an allergic agent while in jail.

Who is Alexei Navalny? Raids and frozen assets Using YouTube and social media, Navalny had amassed a following of millions by late December 2019. Then police raided his Anti-Corruption Foundation headquarters (above), detaining him in the process. His staff said officials wanted to confiscate their tech equipment. Just a few months later, in March, Navalny reported that his bank accounts and those of his family members had been frozen.

Who is Alexei Navalny? An airport drink — and a coma On August 20, Navalny's spokesperson announced that after drinking tea while in an airport, the activist became violently ill during a flight. The plane made an emergency landing, and Navalny was rushed to a hospital (above), where he was reported to be in a coma and on a ventilator. Navalny's associates claimed he had been poisoned and pointed to previous attacks on the activist. Author: David Martin



'Terribly scared'

In response to the electoral ban, Navalny called on his supporters to boycott the presidential election, saying Russian President Vladimir Putin "is terribly scared and is afraid of running against me."

On Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Navalny's "calls for boycott ought to be carefully studied to see if they are breaking the law."

Navalny is technically barred from running for president due to criminal convictions, which have been viewed as political retribution for his anti-corruption campaigns.

Human rights groups have warned that the electoral commission's decision to bar Navalny from participating in the democratic process may form part of a wider crackdown on dissent in Russia.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused the US of "direct interference" in the 2018 presidential election

'Politically motivated'

On Tuesday, the European Union expressed concern over the fairness of the upcoming election, saying the decision taken by the electoral commission to bar Navalny "cast serious doubt on political pluralism in Russia."

Read more: Young Kremlin critics push for change

"Politically motivated charges should not be used against political participation. We expect the Russian authorities to ensure that there is a level playing field, including in the presidential elections," said EU foreign affairs spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic.