Jailed Kremlin Critic Tells Russians To Sabotage Upcoming Elections

Alexei Navalny's allies are banned from taking part in the Sept. 17-19 election, and United Russia, which supports President Vladimir Putin, is expected to win despite a slump in its popularity.

Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny appealed to Russians from behind bars on Thursday nearly a year after he was poisoned with what the West says was a nerve agent and told them to vote tactically in elections next month to try to hurt the Kremlin. His smart voting plan is one of the last levers Navalny and his allies have after a crackdown this summer outlawed his movement as "extremist". His allies are banned from taking part in the Sept. 17-19 election, and United Russia, which supports President Vladimir Putin, is expected to win despite a slump in its popularity. The election is seen as a dry-run for presidential elections in 2024. Putin, who has been in power for more than 20 years, has yet to say whether he plans to run again.