Russia's Central Election Commission today unanimously rejected top opposition figure Alexei Navalny's bid to run against President Vladimir Putin next year.<br/><br/>The commission voted 12 to zero in barring Navalny from the presidential election, citing a controversial embezzlement conviction for which he received a five year suspended sentence.<br/>'<br/>The decision prompted the 41-year-old protest leader — who maintains that the court case against him was fabricated for political reasons to call for a boycott of the election.