On September 8th, Moscow will elect a mayor. The incumbent, Sergei Sobyanin, faces five other candidates, but only one is a serious contender: Alexei Navalny, a prominent leader of the anti-Putin opposition. The blogger and lawyer is known for uncovering corruption among high-level officials and was recently sentenced to five years in prison, in a case he says was politically motivated. The jail term will kick in if his appeal is unsuccessful, but for now, he is campaigning vigorously for votes.
